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THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 


THE 

CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

a  journal  of  the  principal  events  op  a  three 
years'  cruise  in  the 

U.  S.   FLAG-SHIP  BROOKLYN, 

in    the    south     ATLANTIC     STATION,    EXTENDING     SOUTH    OF 

THE   EQUATOR   FROM   CAPE   HORN    EAST   TO   THE   LIMITS 

IN     THE     INDIAN     OCEAN     ON     THE     SEVENTIETH 

MERIDIAN    OF    EAST    LONGITUDE. 

DESCRIPTIONS   OK    PLACES    IN 

SOUTH   AMERICA,  AFRICA,  AND   MADAGASCAR, 

WITH    DETAILS   OP   THE    PECDLIAR   CUSTOMS   AND    INDUSTRIES 
OP  THEIR   INHABITANTS. 


THE  CRUISES  OF  THE  OTHER   VESSELS    OF    THE    AMERICAN  8QDADB0N, 
FROM  NOVEMBER,  1881,  TO   NOVEMBER,  1884. 


BY 

W.    H.   BEE  H  LEE, 

LiKUT.  U.  S.  Navt. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


PRESS    OF 
J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &  CO.,  PHILADELPHIA. 

1885. 


Copyright,  1884,  by  W.  H.  Bbbhler. 


x;  ^  I  ^^ 


PEEFAOE. 


The  interesting  reception  of  Neptune  on  board  the  U.  S.  S. 
"  Brooklyn,"  upon  crossing  the  equator,  created  a  demand  for  a 
periodica]  on  board.  The  author  was  selected  to  conduct  the 
journal,  and  the  officers  cordially  gave  him  their  assistance,  so 
that  the  Brooklyn  Eagle  became  a  regular  feature  of  the  ship. 
Captain  A.  W,  Weaver  gave  his  permission,  and  the  sum  of  five 
cents  per  copy  was  charged,  in  order  to  defray  expenses  for  paper, 
ink,  and  replenishing  the  type,  and  also  to  pay  the  printer,  C.  M. 
Cartwright,  for  his  labor  during  his  leisure  hours.  The  writer  of 
any  article  was  also  allowed  as  many  copies  of  the  paper  as  he 
might  desire  for  his  own  gratification. 

The  present  volume  is,  with  a  few  additions,  taken  from  the 
Brooklyn  Eagle,  and,  with  the  illustrations  of  the  principal  places 
visited  during  a  cruise  in  comparatively  unfrequented  waters,  may 
prove  interesting  to  the  general  public. 

"  The  History  of  the  River  Plate  Republics"  was  published  in 
a  continued  series  of  the  Brooklyn  Eagle,  and  the  author  intends 
to  complete  that  work  and  publish  it  in  a  separate  volume. 

The  author  takes  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  acknowledge 
his  indebtedness  to  the  officers  of  the  "  Brooklyn"  for  their  sup- 
port and  co-operation.     Lieutenant  G.  A.  Calhoun  contributed 


496535 


6  PREFACE. 

the  articles  upon  "  La  FSte  National"  and  "  The  Carnival  of  '83 
at  Montevideo  ;"  Lieutenant  J.  J.  Hunker  that  of  "  The  Fazenda 
Santa  Anna,"  and  Lieutenant  H.  0.  Handy  the  article  on 
"  Base-Ball"  and  that  of  "  The  National  Sport  of  Spain."  Chap- 
lain Eoyce  furnished  valuable  information  concerning  Madagascar, 
and  all  the  officers  kindly  revised  and  criticised  the  various  arti- 
cles as  they  appeared  from  time  to  time,  so  that  this  volume  may 
be  considered  as  having  been  thoroughly  revised  and  in  all  respects 
reliable. 

My  special  thanks  are  due  to  Captain  A.  W.  Weaver  for  his 
permission  to  continue  the  publication  of  the  Brooklyn  EagU, 
and  also  to  Rear- Admirals  Crosby  and  Phelps,  who  gave  me  their 
friendly  advice. 

W.  H.  Beehler, 

Lieutenant  V.S.N. 

U.  S.  S.  "  Brooklyn,"  October  8,  1884. 


OONTEISTTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PAOE 

The  "Brooklyn"  commissioned  for  the  South  Atlantio — Description  of 
the  Ship — List  of  OflBcers — The  OflScial  Inspection  by  the  Inspecting 
Board — Departure  from  Now  York — The  First  Storm  at  Sea — Pleasant 
Voyage  and  Arrival  at  the  Equator — The  Grand  Reception  and  Festival 
in  Honor  of  His  Majesty  Neptune  and  the  Queen — The  Initiation 
Ceremony 13 

CHAPTER    II. 

Arrival  at  Montevideo — Reception  of  the  Commander-in-Chief,  Rear-Ad- 
miral J.  H.  Spotts — The  Organization  of  the  Admiral's  Staff — The  De- 
parture of  the  "Brooklyn"  for  the  Straits  of  Magellan — Arrival  at 
Elizabeth  Island — Reception  at  Sandy  Point  by  the  Chilian  Governor 
— Arrival  at  Falkland  Islands — Description  of  Port  Stanley — Death 
and  Burial  of  Admiral  Spotts — The  Naval  Funeral  Ceremonies    .        .    20 

CHAPTER    III. 

Departure  from  Port  Stanley — The  Gale  off  the  Mouth  of  the  River  Piste 
— The  first  "  General  Liberty"  for  the  Ship's  Company — The  Stupid 
Arrest  of  "  Perfectly  Sober"  Liberty-men — The  Successful  Cruise  of  the 
"Marion" — Search  and  Rescue  of  Shipwrecked  Seamen  on  Heard 
Island  in  the  Antarctic  Ocean — The  "  Pamperos" — The  "  Brooklyn" 
run  into  by  Steamer  "  Mozart" — Courtesy  of  Uruguayan  Authorities  and 
other  Men-of-War  at  Montevideo — The  Assistance  rendered  to  the 
burning  American  Bark  "Jonathan  Chase" — The  "Brooklyn"  Bose- 

BallNine 31 

7 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEE    IV. 

PAGE 

The  Arrival  of  the  "  Essex"  and  "  Marion"  at  Montevideo — Closing  the 
Breach  made  by  the  "  Mozart" — Departure  for  Rio  de  Janeiro — The 
Death  of  Henry  Jones,  Boatswain's  Mate — The  Burial  at  Sea — Obitu- 
ary Notices — Description  of  the  Voyage  and  Arrival  at  Rio — Rear-Ad- 
miral  and  Mrs.  Crosby  arrive  at  Rio,  and  the  Admiral  assumes  Com- 
mand of  the  South  Atlantic  Squadron — The  Feast  of  Corpus  Christi  at 
Rio — Preparations  for  entering  the  Dry-dock — The  Presentation  of  the 
Admiral  and  OflScers  to  His  Majesty  Dom  Pedro  and  the  Empress — 
Lieutenant  Beehler's  Experiments  with  the  Electric  Lights — Brilliant 
Illumination  of  the  Ship  in  the  Dry-dock 44 

CHAPTEE    Y. 

First  Organization  of  the  "Brooklyn"  Minstrels  on  the  Fourth  of  July — 
The  French  Fete  of  the  Storming  of  the  Bastile — Gallant  Conduct  of 
Robert  Allen  and  Edward  Kenny  in  Rescuing  their  Shipmates — The 
United  States  Naval  Depot  at  Rio  de  Janeiro — The  Hospitality  of  the 
People  at  Rio — The  Grand  Minstrel  Entertainment — Programme  of  the 
Performance — Full  Description  of  the  Entertainment  .        .        .        .59 

CHAPTEE    VI. 

The  Admiral's  Ball — The  Reception  of  the  Princess  Imperial  and  Comte 
d'Bu — The  Special  Performance  by  the  Celebrated  "  Brooklyn"  Minstrels 
— Subsequent  Arrival  of  the  Emperor  Dom  Pedro  II. — The  Fazenda 
Santa  Anna — Description  of  a  Brazilian  Coffee  Plantation — Detach- 
ment of  Ofi5cers — Departure  from  Rio — The  Inspection  of  the  Ship  by 
Admiral  Crosby — The  Arrival  of  the  "  Galena" — The  Cruise  of  the 
"  Marion"  and  her  Departure  for  Home 72 

CHAPTEE    VII. 

The  Transit  of  Venus  Expedition — Arrival  of  the  Astronomical  Party — 
— Departure  and  Passage  to  Patagonia — Arrival  at  Santa  Cruz — Build- 
ing the  Observatory  at  Camp  Brooklyn — Preparations  for  observing 
the  Transit — Diversions  of  the  Ship's  Company  while  waiting  for  the 
Day  of  the  Transit — TheObject  of  observing  the  Transit  of  Venus — The 
Photographic  Method  used  by  American  Observers  and  the  Great  Suc- 
cess obtained — The  Second  Trip  to  Santa  Cruz — Rating  Chronometers 
— Return  to  Montevideo — Admiral  Crosby  relieved  from  the  Command 
and  transferred  to  the  Asiatic  Station — Poem  by  William  Anderson, 
Seaman,  upon  the  Transit  of  Venus 88 


CONTENTS.  9 

CHAPTEK    VIII. 

PAOK 

Montevideo — The  Carnival  Festivities  in  1883 — Full  Accounts  of  the 
"  Pomito"  Warfare  with  the  Montevidean  Belles — The  Masked  Balls  at 
the  Clubs  in  Montevideo — Scientific  Evolutions  on  Board  the  "  Brook- 
lyn" to  determine  Tactical  Diameter — Departure  of  Naval  Cadets  for 
Examination  at  Annapolis — A  Visit  to  a  Saladero — Description  of  the 
Principal  Industry  of  Uruguay — The  Fire  Department  at  Montevideo 
— Gallant  Conduct  of  Several  of  the  Crew  of  the  "Brooklyn" — Sur- 
prise of  the  Citizens  at  the  Intrepid  Bravery  of  the  "  Yankee"  Sailors 
— A  Bull-Fight  at  Montevideo — Description  of  the  Actors  and  the 
Bull-Ring — Arrival  of  a  Paraguayan  Man-of-War  at  Montevideo — 
Brief  Sketch  of  a  Thrilling  Incident  in  the  Paraguayan  War        .        .109 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Arrival  of  Commodore  Phelps  to  take  Command  of  South  Atlantic  Squad- 
ron— Inspection  of  the  "Brooklyn" — Highly  Creditable  Performance 
of  the  Ship's  Company  in  the  Examination  by  New  Commander-in- 
Chief — Time  made  in  Different  Exercises — Efficiency  of  the  Ship — 
Departure  of  the  "  Galena"  for  the  United  States — Revised  List  of 
the  Officers  of  the  "  Brooklyn" — Ordered  to  Madagascar — Departure 
for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope — The  Cruise  across  the  South  Atlantic — 
Catching  Albatross — Arrival  at  Cape  Town — Full  Description  of  Cape 
Town  and  Cape  Colony — History  of  Cape  Colony — The  Renowned  Docks 
at  Cape  Town — General  Liberty  for  the  Ship's  Company — The  "  Brook- 
lyn" in  the  Dry-Dock — Description  of  a  Dinner-Party  given  by  the 
Officers'  Mess  of  the  famous  Highland  Regiment,  Princess  Louise's  Own 
— The  African  Diamond-Fields — History  of  Diamond  Mines  in  South 
Africa — Penalty  for  Illicit  Diamond  Buying — Departure  of  the  "  Brook- 
lyn" for  Madagascar — Events  of  the  Voyage  in  the  Indian  Ocean        .  133 

CHAPTER    X. 

Arrival  at  Tamatave — The  War  prevents  Communication  with  the  Shore 
— Departure  for  Zanzibar — Events  of  the  Trip — Christmas  at  Zanzibar 
— Description  of  Zanzibar  and  its  History — Peculiar  Customs  and  In- 
dustries of  the  Arabs — The  Commercial  Wealth  of  Zanzibar — African 
Slavery — The  Slave  "  Dhows" — The  Hospitality  of  the  Sultan  of  Zanzi- 
bar— Remarkable  Dinner-Party  given  by  the  Sultan  to  the  American 
Officers— Visit  to  the  Sultan's  Harem— Labors  of  the  English  Uni- 
versities Missions  in  behalf  of  African  Slaves — Abolition  of  Slavery  in 
Zanzibar !•* 


10  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK    XI. 

PAGE 

Departure  for  the  Comoro  Islands — Arrival  at  Johanna — Description  of 
the  Comoro  Islands — Arrival  at  Nossi  B6 — A  Sugar  Plantation  at  Nossi 
B6 — Arrival  at  Mojanga,  on  the  West  Coast  of  Madagascar — Visit  to  a 
Sakalava  Queen — EflFects  of  the  French  Bombardment — Arrival  at  Mo- 
zambique— Description  and  History  of  Mozambique — The  African  Ex- 
plorations— Discovery  of  Makala  Bay — The  Great  Importance  of  this 
Valuable  Harbor — India-rubber  Trees 180 

CHAPTEK    XII. 

Madagascar — The  Peculiarities  of  its  Animal  and  Vegetable  Life — The 
Remarkable  Inhabitants — The  History  as  furnished  by  Missionary 
Writers — Private  Settlements — The  Ascendency  of  the  Hovas — Conver- 
sion to  Christianity — Reaction  in  Favor  of  Idolatry  in  the  Reign  of 
Bloody  Ranavalona — Christianity  of  the  Present  Queen — Peculiar  Cus- 
toms of  the  Malagasy — Succession  to  the  Throne  confined  to  Female 
Members  of  the  Royal  Family — Status  of  the  Prime  Minister — Hova 
Houses — Sakalava  Grass  Huts — Mode  of  Reckoning  Time — Native 
Dress — Cultivation  of  Rice — Peculiar  Implements  used — Malagasy 
Names — Government  Employment  -without  Pay — The  Blood  Covenant 
— Sakalava  Medicine-Men — Hova  Marriage  Ceremony — Hova  Tombs — 
Description  of  Antananarivo — The  War  with  France     .         .         .         .196 

CHAPTEK    XIII. 

The  Sakalava  Outrage  on  American  Gold-Hunters — The  Investigation  by 
the  U.S.  S.  "Enterprise" — Arrival  of  the  "Brooklyn"  at  Mourondava 
— Reception  by  Hova  OflScials — Peculiar  Rites  of  Hospitality — Visit  of 
Hovas  to  the  "  Brooklyn" — Arrival  of  the  "  Brooklyn"  at  Tullear — 
Effect  of  Target-Practice  upon  the  Guilty  Consciences  of  the  Savage 
Sakalavas — The  Lonely  Missionary  and  his  Labors  among  the  Heathen 
— The  Semi- Annual  Inspection  by  the  Commander-in-Chief — Departure 
for  Port  Elizabeth — Description  of  Port  Elizabeth — The  Proposed 
Docks— The  Hottentot  Clicks 229 

CHAPTEK    XIV. 

Voyage  around  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  Cape  Town — Promotion  of  Rear- 
Admiral  Phelps — Courtesy  of  the  English  at  Cape  Town — Reception 
by  the  OflBcers — Dr.  Holub's  Exploring  Expedition — The  Vineyard  at 
High  Constantia — The  Beautiful  Silver-Tree — General  Description  of 


CONTENTS.  11 


PAOC 


South  Africa — History  of  the  African  States — ^The  Transvaal  Boers — 
The  Boer  War  and  Inglorious  Defeat  of  the  British  at  Laing's  Neck — 
The  Zulu  War — Cetewayo's  Capture  and  Exile 243 

CHAPTER    XV. 

Departure  for  St.  Helena — Impressions  upon  sighting  the  Island — Inci- 
dents of  the  "Brooklyn's"  Stay  in  Port — Qrand  Ball  given  to  the  Offi- 
cers by  the  Citizens  of  Jamestown — Description  of  St.  Helena — History 
of  the  Island — Napoleon's  Exile — Measures  taken  by  the  English  to 
prevent  his  Escape — Failure  of  the  Plans  of  Napoleon's  Friends — The 
Remarkable  Resemblance  of  the  Chinese  Servant  to  the  Ex-Emperor — 
Napoleon's  Pastimes — Last  Sickness  and  Death — Curious  Coincidences 
related  by  an  Old  Inhabitant — Burial  at  St.  Helena — Neglect  of  Long- 
wood — Napoleon's  Remains  removed  to  France — Grand  Funeral  Pro- 
cession— Restoration  of  Napoleon's  Residence — Cession  of  the  Tomb 
and  Longwood  Estate  to  Napoleon's  Heirs  by  Great  Britain — The 
Present  Guardian  of  the  Tomb — A  Visit  to  Longwood  and  Description 
of  its  Present  Condition 275 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

The  Return  to  Montevideo  from  St.  Helena — Events  of  the  Voyage — A 
Visit  to  Buenos  Ayres — Full  Description  of  the  City — The  Park  at 
Palermo — The  Zoological  Garden — An  Amusing  Incident  at  the  Races 
— The  Street  Railroads  in  Buenos  Ayres — The  Argentine  Naval  Acad- 
emy— The  "Nipsic's"  Cruise  in  the  South  Atlantic        ....  300 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

Description  of  the  Bay  and  City  of  Rio  de  Janeiro — A  Brief  Summarj- 
of  the  History  of  Brazil — The  "Brooklyn's"  Peta — The  Homeward- 
Bound  Voyage  of  the  "  Brooklyn"  and  Safe  Arrival  at  New  York— A 
Synopsis  of  the  Cruise  and  Track  Chart 319 

APPENDIX. 
List  of  Officers  and  Crew  on  board  the  "  Brooklyn,"  October  8,  1884         .  387 


ILLTJSTRATIO]^S. 


PAGE 

Title  and  Medallion  with  View  of  the  "Brooklyn" — Fac  simile  of  a 

"  Silver  Leaf" — A  Leadsman  in  the  Chains  Heaving  the  Lead    On  the  cover. 

The  "  Brooklyn"  and  Table  Mountain Frontispiece. 

General  View  of  Montevideo  .    , 21 

Entrance  to  Rio  de  Janeiro 47 

Camp  Brooklyn — Transit  of  Venus  Expedition       .....  99 

Government  Buildings  at  Montevideo — Plaza  Independencia           .         .  119 

Street  in  Cape  Town — Kailroad  Depot  and  Commercial  Exchange  .        .  162 

General  View  of  Zanzibar — The  Sultan's  Harem 171 

General  View  of  Mozambique 192 

Madagascar — Sakalava  Warrior  and  Boatman 200 

Malagasy  Girls  pounding  Rice  in  a  Mortar 212 

The  Hova  Officers  of  the  Palace  at  Mourondava 234 

The  Sakalava  Village  of  TuUear 236 

Longwood  Old  House  at  St.  Helena 286 

Napoleon's  Tomb 300 

General  View  of  Buenos  Ayres .        .  309 

The  Avenue  of  Palms  at  Rio  de  Janeiro 320 

Track  Chart  of  the  Cruise  of  the  "  Brooklyn" 335 


12 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 


CHAPTER    I. 

The  "Brooklyn"  commissioned  for  the  South  Atlantic — Description  of  the 
Ship — List  of  Officers — The  Official  Inspection  bjr  the  Inspecting  Board — 
Departure  from  New  York — The  First  Storm  at  Sea — Pleasant  Voyage  and 
Arrival  at  the  Equator — The  Grand  Reception  and  Festival  in  Honor  of  His 
Majesty  Neptune  and  the  Queen — The  Initiation  Ceremony, 

After  a  friendly  consultation  between  His  Majesty  Neptune  and 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  the  "  Brooklyn"  was  selected 
as  flag-ship  of  the  United  States  naval  forces  in  thejSouth  Atlantic. 

Owing  to  the  unprecedented  number  of  applications,  it  was  some 
time  before  the  Honorable  Secretary  of  the  Navy  could  decide  who 
should  have  the  privilege  of  serving  in  this  ship.  The  subject 
gave  him  so  much  concern  as  to  necessitate  publishing  a  general 
order,  calling  especial  attention  to  the  oflBcers  finally  selected. 

The  good  old  ship  had  been  thoroughly  overhauled  (excepting 
a  few  leaks)  and  virtually  rebuilt,  and  had  a  great  many  modem 
appliances, — electric  bells,  Hotchkiss  revolving  cannon,  magazine- 
rifles,  and  ventilating  fan-blowers.  Neptune  had  some  hope  of 
finding  electric  lights  on  board  and  was  very  much  disappointed. 

The  "  Brooklyn"  is  a  single-deck  steam  sloop-of-war,  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty-five  feet  long  and  forty-three  feet  beam  ;  tonnage, 
two  thousand.  Her  armament  consists  of  twelve  9-inch  broadside 
guns,  one  8-inch  muzzle-loading  rifle,  one  60-pounder  breech-load- 
ing rifle,  two  20-pounder  breech-loading  rifles,  one  12-pounder 
light  howitzer,  one  3-inch  breech-loading  rifle,  one  long  Gatling, 
and  four  Hotchkiss  revolving  cannon.     She  is  fitted  with  four 

2  18 


14  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

projecting  platforms  and  two  rail-posts  for  the  Hotchkiss  cannon, 
and  has  the  regulation  torpedo  outfit. 

She  was  put  in  commission  at  the  New  York  Navy-yard  at  1.20 
P.M.,  the  11th  of  November,  1881.  At  this  time  Captain  A.  W. 
Weaver  formally  received  the  ship  from  Rear-Admiral  G.  H. 
Cooper,  United  States  Navy,  commandant  of  the  yard,  and  took 
command  by  reading  his  orders  from  the  Honorable  Secretary  of 
the  Navy  in  the  presence  of  the  officers  and  men  assembled  on  the 
quarter-deck.  The  colors  and  pennants  were  hoisted  while  the 
band  played  "  The  Star-Spangled  Banner."  The  following  is  a 
list  of  the  officers : 

Aaron  W.  Weaver,  captain  commanding. 

Charles  H.  Pendleton,  lieutenant-commander  and  executive. 

Charles  M.  Anthony,  lieutenant-commander  and  navigator. 

C.  B.  Gill,  Uriel  Sebree,  W.  H.  Beehler,  H.  0.  Handy,  George 
A.  Calhoun,  and  J.  J.  Hunker,  lieutenants. 

John  Hood,  C.  S.  Ripley,  James  B.  Cahoon,  Thomas  Snowden, 
and  John  A.  Bell,  midshipmen. 

A.  C.  Parsons  and  G.  E.  Perry,  cadet-midshipmen. 

Henry  M.  Martin  and  John  M.  Steele,  passed  assistant  surgeons. 
W.  Goldsborough,  paymaster. 
W.  W.  Dungan,  chief  engineer. 

B.  C.  Gowing,  passed  assistant  engineer. 
S.  H.  Leonard,  assistant  engineer. 

W.  S.  Smith  and  R.  J.  Beach,  cadet-engineere. 

A.  L.  Royce,  chaplain. 

S.  L.  Jackson,  second  lieutenant  of  marines. 

H.  Dickenson,  boatswain. 

George  L.  Albro,  gunner, 

J.  S.  Waltemeyer,  carpenter. 

John  T.  Bailey,  sailmaker. 

T.  G.  Dawson,  pay-clerk. 

B.  W.  Goldsborough,  fleet  pay-clerk. 

The  crew  consists  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  men,  including 


THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  15 

petty  officers  and  marines.  They  are  the  finest  set  of  men  ever 
visited  by  Neptune.  A  great  many  of  them  have  seen  long  and 
faithful  service  in  the  navy,  and  all  reflect  great  credit  upon  the 
American  people  in  the  South  Atlantic. 

Within  three  weeks  the  captain  informed  the  Navy  Department 
that  the  ship  was  ready  for  sea.  The  powder  was  received  on 
board  oflf  the  Battery  on  November  28,  after  which  she  anchored 
off  West  Twenty-third  Street. 

The  Board  of  Inspectors  visited  the  ship  on  December  2,  when 
she  was  found  to  be  thoroughly  equipped  for  a  three  years'  cruise. 
At  10.30  A.M.  the  following  Wednesday,  December  7,  she  got 
under  way  and  stood  down  the  bay  to  Sandy  Hook,  where  she  an- 
chored until  4.20  P.M.,  when  she  stood  out  to  sea,  bound  for  Mon- 
tevideo. A  fresh  breeze  from  the  northwest  favored  the  ship,  but 
it  increased  to  a  fresh  gale  during  the  night.  The  sea  became 
very  rough,  and  the  ship  rolled  and  pitched  about  uneasily.  A 
great  many  were  sea-sick,  and  all  were  subjected  to  a  great  deal  of 
discomfort.  The  seas  kept  the  decks  wet  constantly  for  two  weeks, 
during  which  time  there  were  only  a  few  hours  of  good  weather, 
and  these  were  hailed  with  great  delight.  The  band  was  ordered 
up  once  during  this  period,  and  the  music  revived  the  drooping 
spirits  amazingly. 

Christmas-day  was  celebrated  by  divine  service  and  a  swell  din- 
ner in  the  wardroom  to  the  captain  and  steerage  officers.  By  this 
time  the  wind  and  sea  had  abated  considerably,  and  the  ship  was 
in  milder  latitudes.  The  trade-winds  were  very  uncertain  at  first, 
but  we  found  fair  weather  in  that  region,  and  made  a  good  run 
until  we  reached  the  equator.  Steam  was  only  used  the  first  two 
days  out  and  the  last  two  days  while  in  the  "  doldrums"  just  north 
of  the  equator. 

The  *'  Brooklyn"  has  side  keelsons,  and  drags  her  screw  when 
under  sail ;  but,  notwithstanding  these  drawbacks,  she  made  the 
run  from  Sandy  Hook  to  the  "  line"  at  thirty  degrees  west  longi- 
tude in  thirty  days  and  fourteen  hours. 


16  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

NEPTUNE'S    RECEPTION. 

At  seven  p.m.,  January  6,  the  ship's  company  was  startled  by 
the  sound  of  a  conch-shell  under  the  weather  bow,  immediately 
after  which  the  ship  was  hailed  in  deep  stentorian  tones,  "  Ship 
ahoy !"  The  ofiBcer  of  the  deck  answered  "  Halloa  I"  The  voice 
replied,  "  What  ship  is  that?"  "The  United  States  steamer 
Brooklyn."  "Whore  from?"  "New  York."  "  Whither  bound?" 
"  Montevideo."  "  May  I  come  on  board  ?  I  have  a  message  for 
your  captain."     "  Certainly." 

A  quaint  figure  then  emerged  from  out  of  the  sea  and  ap- 
peared at  the  mast,  where  he  handed  the  officer  of  the  deck  a  de- 
spatch for  the  captain.  This  proved  to  be  from  His  Majesty  Nep- 
tune, informing  the  captain  that  he  would  visit  the  ship  with  his 
suite  the  next  morning. 

The  captain  came  out  and  shook  hands  with  the  envoy,  and  said 
he  would  be  very  much  pleased  to  receive  His  Majesty,  and  he 
would  have  everything  ready  for  his  reception,  and  the  initia- 
tion of  those  of  his  subjects  who  had  never  previously  entered 
his  dominions,  and  that  he  had  reason  to  believe  he  had  a  num- 
ber of  such  young  men  among  the  officers  and  crew  under  his 
command. 

The  captain  sent  his  compliments  to  Neptune  and  recalled  his 
first  meeting  with  His  Majesty  thirty-three  years  ago  in  nearly 
the  same  spot.  The  envoy  remembered  it  very  well,  and  said  he 
had  the  honor  of  being  His  Majesty's  viceroy  at  that  time,  and, 
after  thanking  the  captain,  he  mysteriously  disappeared. 

The  next  morning  a  huge  tank  was  rigged  up  in  the  starboard 
gangway  by  means  of  a  large  boom-cover  triced  up  to  the  rail  on 
the  bridge  and  topgallant  forecastle,  and  preparations  were  made 
for  the  day's  ceremony.  At  nine  A.M.  a  bugle-call  announced  the 
arrival  of  His  Majesty  and  suite  on  board  ship.  All  hands  were 
called  aft  to  muster,  and  formed  line  for  the  grand  review.  The 
band  struck  up  "  A  Life  on  the  Ocean  Wave,"  and  a  squad  of  sea- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  \1 

urchins  appeared  with  the  state  car  of  His  Majesty  Neptune  and 
Queen  Amphitrite.  The  car  was  a  long  shell  with  two  wheels  cov- 
ered with  sea-weed,  the  golden  fleece,  and  other  decorations. 

His  Majesty  looked  rather  aged,  but  his  keen  eye  evinced  all 
the  vigor  of  perennial  youth.  He  was  attired  in  sea- weed,  carried 
a  trident,  and  wore  a  crown  of  pearls.  Queen  Amphitrite  hid  her 
blushes  under  a  prodigious  growth  of  hair  covering  her  whole 
body.  She  wore  a  green  dress  tastefully  embroidered  with  choice 
varieties  of  sea-weed.  The  overskirt  was  cut  d  la  princess.  She 
did  not  bring  any  of  her  mermaids  with  her,  as  there  are  no 
ladies  allowed  on  board  [this]  ship. 

The  suite  consisted  of  the  secretary  with  Neptune's  log,  the 
doctor,  grand  chamberlain,  the  barber  with  an  immense  razor,  and 
a  train  of  policemen.  The  procession  marched  aft  and  halted  at 
the  mainmast,  where  the  captain  and  executive  received  His  Majesty 
and  gave  him  a  hearty  welcome.  Two  servants  appeared  with 
wine,  and  Neptune  and  his  suite  pledged  the  health  of  the  captain 
and  his  crew.  After  the  usual  exchange  of  courtesies,  Neptune 
ordered  his  secretary  to  call  the  roll  of  officers  who  had  not  crossed 
the  "line."  Sixteen  young  gentlemen  then  came  forward  in 
obedience  to  the  summons.  His  Majesty  then  addressed  them 
in  a  neat  little  speech,  wherein  he  informed  them  that  in  consid- 
eration of  their  positions  and  the  record  they  would  make  in  his 
log-book,  he  would  allow  them  the  privilege  of  choosing  whether 
they  would  pay  a  tribute  to  Neptune  and  his  train  or  submit  to 
the  initiatory  shave.  Those  who  preferred  paying  tribute  were 
then  requested  to  hold  up  their  hands.  As  all  the  young  gentle- 
men decided  to  pay  tribute,  His  Majesty  then  ordered  the  train  to 
march  forward  and  proceed  with  the  crew. 

A  throne  had  been  prepared  for  them  on  the  starboard  side  of 
the  forecastle,  about  fifteen  feet  above  the  bottom  of  the  tank. 
The  doctor  and  barber  were  stationed  on  each  side  of  the  block, 
and  the  secretary  called  out  the  name  of  the  victims.  One  of 
the  barber's  assistants  had  a  pail  of  lather  made  of  a  horrible  mix- 


18  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

ture  of  lime,  flour,  molasses,  vinegar,  and  sea-water,  diluted  with  a 
strong  solution  of  Stockholm  tar. 

The  thirty  apprentice-boys  were  the  first  victims.  As  each  one 
was  called  out  he  was  required  to  sit  on  the  block  and  submit  to 
an  examination  by  the  doctor,  who  generally  found  it  necessary  to 
administer  a  nastypill.  The  barber  then  put  on  the  lather,  while 
the  victim  was  required  to  give  an  account  of  himself,  during 
which  the  brush  frequently  lathered  his  mouth  with  an  unsavory 
mess.  As  soon  as  the  name  was  duly  recorded  the  victim  was 
lifted  bodily  and  thrown  headlong  into  the  tank,  where  a  host  of 
minions  received  him  and  gave  him  a  thorough  washing.  The 
boys  went  through  the  performance  most  gracefully,  but  the  ma- 
rines were  obstinate,  and  their  vain  resistance  evoked  the  greatest 
merriment. 

When  the  secretary  called  for  the  master-at-arms,  a  general 
shout  was  raised  by  the  boys.  A  full  delegation  of  police  was 
sent  below,  and  "  Jimmy  Legs"  was  unceremoniously  ushered  into 
His  Majesty's  presence.  In  view  of  his  position  Neptune  was 
somewhat  undecided  about  requiring  him  to  be  shaved,  but  his 
ministers  unanimously  voted  that  he  should  be,  as  it  might  be 
taken  as  a  precedent  in  future  ceremonies.  The  barber  was  espe- 
cially zealous,  and  used  all  his  influence  to  have  him  shaved,  and 
when  His  Majesty  finally  ordered  him  to  be  initiated,  the  assem- 
bled court  gave  vent  to  their  delight  in  loud  applause.  He  was 
then  allowed  to  prepare  himself  for  the  shave  and  bath,  and  was 
very  neatly  handled;  his  graceful  form  was  lifted  up  by  four 
brawny  arms  and  hurled  into  the  tank  to  the  tender  mercies  of 
the  sea-urchins  with  the  steam  hose.  The  printer  hoped  to  escape 
on  account  of  some  services,  but  the  law  was  inexorable,  and  he 
submitted  with  very  good  grace. 

The  firemen  and  coal-heavers  were  very  indignant,  and  some  of 
them  intrenched  themselves  in  the  coal-bunkers  and  fire-room, 
laboring  under  the  delusion  that  Neptune  was  not  familiar  with 
steam-engineering,  and  would  not  venture  below  among  the  intri- 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  19 

cate  machinery.  They  soon  found  themselves  mistaken,  and  after 
a  short  struggle  the  uninitiated  were  duly  shaved  and  washed. 

The  captain  was  very  anxious  that  his  cook  should  be  washed, 
but  in  this  he  was  sadly  disappointed,  for  when  summoned  into 
the  presence  of  His  Majesty,  he  was  found  to  be  an  old  acquaint- 
ance ;  some  infer  that  he  was  born  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  is 
intimately  acquainted  with  some  of  His  Majesty's  court.  At  all 
events,  he  was  not  subjected  to  either  a  shave  or  a  wash.  One 
young  man  from  the  "  Woods"  claimed  to  have  crossed  fifteen 
times,  but  had  no  certificate.  He  was  cross-examined  by  the 
chief  marshal,  and  as  this  proved  unsatisfactory,  he  was  duly 
submerged. 

At  eleven  A.M.,  after  all  the  young  men  had  been  duly  initi- 
ated and  the  officers  had  paid  their  tribute  of  wine  and  cigars, 
His  Majesty  went  aft  and  bade  the  captain  adieu.  He  reported  to 
the  captain  that  he  had  washed  the  hay-seed  out  of  the  hair  of  the 
young  men,  and  that  they  would  now  pass  muster.  He  promised 
fair  weather  and  steady  southeast  trade-winds  during  the  voyage, 
and  that  he  would  watch  the  young  men  and  boys  and  see  that 
they  did  their  duty  with  credit  to  themselves  and  country.  He 
expressed  himself  very  much  gratified  with  his  visit  and  mysteri- 
ously disappeared  with  his  whole  retinue,  while  the  band  played 
"Yankee  Doodle." 

AH  hands  then  turned  to  and  proceeded  to  their  duties.  A  fair 
wind  sprang  up  almost  immediately  after  His  Majesty  left.  The 
captain  ordered  sail  to  be  made  and  the  fires  were  allowed  to  burn 
out,  while  the  old  ship  proceeded  on  her  way  with  Neptune's 
blessin":. 


20  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 


CHAPTER  11. 

Arrival  at  Montevideo — Reception  of  the  Commander-in-Chief,  Rear-Ad- 
miral J.  H.  Spotts — The  Organization  of  the  Admiral's  Staff — The  Departure 
of  the  "Brooklyn"  for  the  Straits  of  Magellan — Arrival  at  Elizabeth  Island 
— Reception  at  Sandy  Point  by  the  Chilian  Governor — Arrival  at  Falkland 
Islands — Description  of  Port  Stanley — Death  and  Burial  of  Admiral  Spotts 
— The  Naval  Funeral  Ceremonies. 

From  the  "  line"  to  Montevideo  very  little  of  interest  occurred. 
The  sea  was  for  the  most  part  smooth,  and  sailing  delightful. 
January  18  the  officers  appeared  in  white  for  the  first  time. 
January  20  orders  were  given  to  get  up  steam,  the  wind  having 
died  out ;  but  soon,  a  fair  wind  springing  up,  fires  were  banked. 
January  22,  soon  after  eleven  o'clock,  the  drum  beat  to  general 
quarters,  the  first  we  had  had  at  night.  The  men  turned  out 
with  great  promptness,  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  officers  in 
charge  of  divisions. 

The  wind  dying  out  the  next  morning,  orders  were  given  to 
spread  fires.  The  deep-sea  lead  was  kept  going  all  night  at  inter- 
vals. At  four  A.M.,  Wednesday,  January  24,  we  made  the  light 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Plate.  The  pilot  came  on  board  at  nine 
A.M.,  and  we  steamed  up  the  river  at  a  rapid  rate  under  three- 
fourths  power.  The  sky  was  overcast,  but  cleared  towards  evening. 
The  city  of  Montevideo  came  in  view  about  five  o'clock,  and  a 
little  after  eight  o'clock  we  came  to  anchor  in  the  outer  roadstead, 
signalling  the  "  Shenandoah"  by  rockets.  The  long  streets  lit  up  by 
gas  looked  very  beautiful  to  our  weary  eyes  after  forty-nine  days 
at  sea.  The  next  morning  we  stood  into  the  harbor,  and  came 
to  anchor  a  short  distance  from  the  "  Shenandoah."  Three  other 
men-of-war  were  in  the  harbor, — an  Italian,  a  Frenchman,  and  a 
Brazilian. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  TEE  BROOKLYN.  21 

Montevideo  takes  its  name  from  a  conical  hill,  which  can  be 
seen  for  a  long  distance,  situated  on  the  western  side  of  the  cir- 
cular indenture  in  the  river  which  forms  the  harbor.  The  town 
itself  is  on  a  point  opposite,  distant  from  it  a  mile  or  more  in  a 
direct  line  across  the  water.  The  hill  is  known  as  the  "  Cerro," 
or  hill,  par  excellence.  It  is  isolated,  and  rises  gradually  and 
regularly  on  all  sides,  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  to  a  height 
of  about  four  hundred  and  ninety  feet.  It  is  crowned  by  a  small 
rectangular  fortress,  above  which  rises  a  tower  some  twenty  or 
thirty  feet,  from  which  a  flash  light  is  shown.  The  fortress  has 
been  suffered  to  fall  into  a  state  of  decay  of  late  years,  but  the 
government,  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  was  making  repairs  and  mount- 
ing guns.  Midway  between  the  hill  on  the  west  and  the  town  on 
the  east,  a  small  hill  rises  two  or  three  miles  inland,  called  the 
"  Cerrito,"  or  little  hill.  In  the  many  revolutions  in  this  country 
this  hill  has  been  often  fortified ;  usually  one  party  holding  the 
"  Cerro"  and  the  other  the  "  Cerrito,"  and  each  in  turn  attempting 
to  control  the  city. 

The  town  is  situated  on  a  peninsula  of  tufa  rocks,  a  half-mile  in 
length  by  a  quarter  in  width,  and  then  spreads  out  into  beautiful 
suburbs  of  twice  this  extent.  The  peninsula  itself  rises  gently 
from  the  water  on  three  sides  to  an  elevation  of  eighty  or  one 
hundred  feet,  much  in  the  shape  of  a  whale's  back.  From  a  dis- 
tance it  presents  a  mass  of  compactly-built,  white,  flat-topped  houses, 
one  and  two  stories  high,  with  multitudes  of  small  square  turrets  or 
miradors  overtopping  them.  From  the  midst,  in  the  central  height, 
rise  the  lofty  roofs,  domes,  and  double  towers  of  the  cathedral. 

On  Monday,  January  30,  at  eleven  A.M.,  Rear- Admiral  James 
H.  Spotts  hoisted  his  flag  on  the  "  Brooklyn,"  being  received  on 
board  by  the  officers  and  crew  in  battalion  formation  and  a  salute 
of  thirteen  guns,  after  which  the  admiral  and  staff  inspected  the 
ship.  Medical  Inspector  C.  II.  Burbank  and  Captain  E.  P.  Meeker 
joined  this  ship  in  company  with  the  admiral.  The  admiral  an- 
nounced his  staff  in  the  following  general  order : 


22  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Squadron  Order  ">  U.  S.  F.  S.  "  Brooklyn,"  Montevideo,  TJRuauAT, 

No.  3.  J  January  30,  1882. 

Having  transferred  my  flag  to  the  U.  S.  S.  "  Brooklyn,"  I  announce  to  the 
squadron  the  following  officers  as  composing  the  personal  and  general  staff: 

Personal  Staff. 

Captain  A.  W.  Weaver,  chief  of  staff. 

Lieutenant  W.  H.  Beehler,  flag  lieutenant. 

Lieutenant  Jacob  J.  Hunker,  secretary  to  commander-in-chief. 

Midshipman  John  Hood,  aide  to  commander-in-chief. 

General  Staff. 

Medical  Inspector  C.  H.  Burbank,  fleet  surgeon. 
Paymaster  "VV.  Goldsborough,  fleet  paymaster. 
Chief  Engineer  W.  W.  Dungan,  fleet  engineer. 
Captain  E.  P.  Meeker,  U.  S.  M.  C,  fleet  marine  officer, 

J.  H.  SPOTTS, 
Rear-Admiral  Commanding,  U.  S.  Naval  Force, 

Soutit  Atlantic  Station. 

From  Monday  afternoon  until  Thursday,  February  2,  we  were 
unable  to  hold  any  communication  with  the  shore  on  account  of  a 
severe  gale.  February  4  the  "  Shenandoah"  put  to  sea,  home- 
ward bound.  Both  crews  manned  the  rigging  and  cheered  ship. 
Having  coaled,  the  following  day  we  also  put  to  sea,  bound  for 
Sandy  Point,  in  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  We  had  a  most  de- 
lightful passage  until  near  Cape  Virgins.  The  Virgins,  however, 
gave  us  a  cold  and  stormy  reception,  and  on  Monday,  February  13, 
we  were  obliged  to  heave  to,  not  being  able  to  enter  the  straits. 
The  next  day  we  made  the  entrance,  and  at  night  anchored  in 
Possession  Bay.  Wednesday  we  anchored  in  Gregory  Bay. 
Thursday,  February  16,  we  came  to  anchor  off  Elizabeth  Island 
at  about  eight  a.m.  The  admiral.  Captain  Weaver,  and  quite  a 
party  went  on  shore  on  a  shooting  expedition,  and  came  back  after 
having  fine  sport.  The  next  day  the  same  party  went  ashore  again, 
and  in  the  two  hunting  expeditions  of  a  few  hours  each  they 
brought  back  about  one  hundred  wild  geese.     February  18  we 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  23 

reached  Sandy  Point,  where  we  expected  to  receive  a  large  mail. 
In  this,  however,  we  were  disappointed,  and  the  admiral  decided 
to  remain  till  the  arrival  of  the  next  mail  steamer,  due  February 
25.  In  the  mean  time  the  usual  visits  of  ceremony  were  exchanged 
between  the  admiral  and  the  Chilian  governor,  and  the  latter  in- 
vited the  admiral  and  staff  to  join  him  in  a  horseback-ride  about 
the  settlement,  but  the  admiral  complained  of  a  cold  and  did  not 
accompany  the  party  on  this  expedition.  On  February  28  we 
again  put  to  sea,  bound  for  Port  Stanley,  East  Falkland,  where  we 
arrived  without  incident  Saturday,  March  4. 

Port  Stanley  is  the  seat  of  government  of  the  Falkland  Islands. 
It  is  a  very  pretty  little  harbor  and  perfectly  land-locked  on  all 
sides.  The  entrance  to  the  outer  harbor  is  marked  by  a  light- 
house on  a  point  running  out  towards  a  number  of  rocks  known 
as  the  Seal  Rocks.  The  outer  harbor  is  known  as  Port  William, 
and  is  connected  with  the  inner  harbor  by  a  narrow  strait  about 
one  hundred  feet  wide  and  four  hundred  feet  long.  When  we 
passed  in  at  dusk,  Saturday,  March  4,  it  seemed  to  be  scarcely  wide 
enough  to  admit  us. 

The  Falkland  Islands  are  now  English  settlements,  but  they 
have  been  held  by  a  number  of  governments.  The  islands  were 
discovered  by  Cavendish  in  1592,  but  they  are  not  known  to  have 
been  inhabited  before  the  French  took  possession  of  them,  the 
first  part  of  this  century.  The  Spanish,  English,  and  the  govern- 
ment of  Buenos  Ayres  held  them  at  different  times,  but  did  not 
hold  them  permanently. 

While  held  by  Buenos  Ayres,  some  Americans  were  maltreated, 
in  consequence  of  which  the  U.  S.  S.  "  Lexington"  bombarded 
the  place  and  seized  the  islands.  Our  government  claimed 
these  islands  until  Secretary  Seward  was  Secretary  of  State, 
when  this  claim  was  finally  yielded  and  the  proprietorship  of 
England  recognized  by  us,  as  well  as  by  the  rest  of  the  world, 
except  the  government  of  Buenos  Ayres,  which  still  claims  them 
as  part  of  their  territory. 


24  THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

The  English  have  a  number  of  settlements  in  the  islands, 
twelve  hundred  people  finding  a  home  on  them.  The  largest  set- 
tlement is  that  of  Stanley,  where  there  are  about  five  hundred  and 
fifty  people,  men,  women,  and  children,  the  latter  being  unusually 
numerous. 

The  soil  is  barren,  trees  are  unknown,  and  very  little  vegetation 
is  found  except  short  grass  and  field  flowers.  The  chief  industry 
is  that  of  sheep-raising.  The  wool  from  these  sheep  is  very  fine 
and  is  the  main  source  of  income.  It  requires  an  average  of  four 
acres  of  this  land  to  maintain  one  sheep,  while  in  the  United 
States  several  sheep  are  amply  supported  on  one  acre  of  land. 
Every  year,  however,  brings  improvement  in  the  soil,  and  in  time 
it  promises  to  be  quite  an  important  place. 

The  wind  blows  nearly  all  the  time  with  a  velocity  of  from 
twenty  to  fifty  miles  per  hour,  often  being  accompanied  with  rain. 
Not  a  single  day  passes  without  rain,  more  or  less  copious.  The 
climate  is,  however,  a  very  healthy  one ;  the  fresh  wind  keeps  up  a 
perfect  ventilation,  and  doctors  have  very  little  to  do. 

The  town  itself  is  like  one  of  our  own  new  settlements.  The 
frame  houses,  with  gable-windows  in  the  roof  and  smoking  chim- 
ney-tops, gave  the  place  a  homelike  aspect  as  seen  from  the  ship. 

Peat  is  the  principal  fuel.  It  abounds  on  the  hills  close  at  hand, 
and  is  very  generally  used.  Peat  is  a  carbonized  vegetable  matter. 
It  has  a  dark-brown  color,  and  is  dug  out  of  the  earth  in  cubical 
blocks,  and  then  piled  up  to  dry,  two  weeks'  exposure  to  the  sun 
and  wind  being  requisite  before  it  is  fit  for  fuel.  It  makes  a 
pretty  grate-fire,  but  burns  with  a  great  deal  of  smoke,  having 
a  peculiar  odor,  which  though  not  disagreeable  yet  permeates 
everything. 

There  is  very  little  commerce  with  the  rest  of  the  world.  Some 
seal-fishers  come  in  occasionally,  and  there  is  a  line  of  steamers 
which  call  here  once  in  about  six  weeks.  Whalers  come  in  once 
in  a  while,  but  the  present  compulsory  pilot  laws  keep  most  of 
them  out.     The  only  other  vessels  that  come  in  are  those  in  dis- 


THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  26 

tress,  several  fine  vessels  being  in  the  harbor  unable  to  get  away 
or  have  their  masts  and  rigging  repaired.  The  people  of  Stanley 
have  strong  hopes  that  the  English  government  will  establish  a 
regular  naval  depot  at  Port  Stanley,  several  of  the  most  desirable 
parts  of  the  harbor  being  reserved  by  the  government. 

On  Monday,  March  6,  we  fired  a  national  salute  of  twenty-one 
guns  with  the  English  flag  at  the  fore,  which  was  at  once  returned 
gun  for  gun.  The  next  day  the  admiral  and  his  entire  staff 
made  an  oflficial  visit  to  the  governor,  being  saluted  with  thirteen 
guns  on  landing. 

We  commenced  to  coal  ship  at  eight  o'clock  Thursday  morning, 
March  9.  Fires  were  started  at  noon,  when  the  governor  made 
his  official  visit.  At  this  time  the  admiral  was  suddenly  taken 
sick,  and  fires  were  banked  again. 

THE  DEATH  OF  REAR-ADMIRAL  JAMES  H.  SPOTTS. 

It  has  pleased  Almighty  God  in  his  infinite  wisdom  to  remove 
our  beloved  commander-in-chief,  Rear-Admiral  James  H.  Spotta, 
from  our  midst.  He  was  stricken  with  apoplexy  while  receiving 
an  official  visit  from  the  governor  of  the  Falkland  Islands,  at 
12.30  P.M.,  March  9,  1882.  It  appears  that  he  was  seized  with 
a  fit  of  sneezing,  and  the  effort  produced  a  rush  of  blood  to  the 
head,  which  rendered  him  semi-unconscious ;  he  attempted  to  rise 
from  his  chair,  but  fell  forward  on  his  hands  and  knees.  Captain 
Weaver,  the  governor,  and  his  son  raised  him  on  to  the  transom, 
and  Drs.  Burbank,  Martin,  and  Steele  were  at  once  summoned  to 
attend  him.  They  did  all  that  human  skill  could  possibly  do,  but 
to  no  avail.  In  fifteen  minutes  the  admiral  became  entirely  un- 
conscious, and  gradually  sank,  and  died  at  10.41  that  night. 

It  was  at  first  intended  to  take  his  remains  to  Montevideo, 
but  this  was  found  to  be  inexpedient,  as  the  body  could  not  be 
properly  embalmed  for  want  of  proper  appliances,  and  if  only  im- 
perfectly done,  delay,  or  any  accident  of  storm  and  weather  to  the 
ship  en  route,  would  have  necessitated  its  burial  at  sea.     Stanley, 


26  THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

in  being  an  English  port,  is  more  like  our  own  country  than  any 
other  place  on  the  station,  and  as  events  proved,  the  people  on 
shore  paid  his  remains  every  possible  mark  of  respect,  and  his 
grave  will  be  honored  for  all  time  in  the  history  of  the  islands. 

Lieutenant  Beehler  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  remains,  and 
prepared  them  for  burial,  and  a  number  of  officers  voluntarily 
kept  watch  by  the  body  until  the  funeral,  on  Saturday,  March  11. 

Rear- Admiral  James  H.  Spotts  was  born  in  North  Carolina, 
March  11, 1822,  and  was  appointed  a  midshipman  in  the  navy  from 
Kentucky,  August  2,  1837.  He  made  a  cruise  around  the  world 
in  the  "  John  Adams,"  1837  to  1840,  and  engaged  in  two  battles 
on  the  island  of  Sumatra  in  1839.  From  1841  to  1842  he  served 
on  the  Brazil  Station  in  the  "Delaware"  and  "Potomac."  He  was 
promoted  to  passed  midshipman  June  29,  1843,  and  cruised  in 
the  "West  Indies  and  coast  of  Africa  in  the  "  St.  Lawrence,"  "  Fal- 
mouth," and  "  Southampton"  in  1843, 1844,  and  1845.  Promoted 
to  master  April,  1850,  and  lieutenant  November  of  the  same 
year.  He  served  in  the  Pacific  in  the  "  Lexington"  from  1846  to 
1849,  and  again  in  the  "  Portsmouth"  from  1851  to  1855.  During 
the  Mexican  war  he  was  on  the  blockade  on  the  west  coast,  and 
participated  in  the  capture  of  San  Bias,  Mazatlan,  La  Paz,  etc. 
He  was  in  the  "  Michigan"  on  the  lakes  from  1856  to  1858,  and 
the  "  Cyane"  and  "  Saranac,"  Pacific  coast,  from  1858  to  1860. 
In  1861  he  joined  the  "  Santee"  on  the  Gulf  Squadron,  and  there 
took  his  first  command,  that  of  the  "  Wanderer,"  1861  and  1862. 
He  also  commanded  the  "  Magnolia"  in  the  latter  part  of  1862. 
He  was  commissioned  as  commander  in  July  of  the  same  year,  and 
commanded  the  "  South  Carolina"  in  1863,  and  the  "  Pawtucket"  in 
1864  and  1865,  From  1865  to  1867  he  served  as  executive  of 
the  Mare  Island  Navy-yard.  He  was  commissioned  as  captain 
July  25, 1866,  and  commanded  the  "  Saranac"  in  1870  and  1871, 
and  also  the  "Pensacola,"  1871  and  1872,  in  the  Pacific,  after 
which  he  was  light-house  inspector  on  that  coast  until  1874.  He 
was  commissioned  as  commodore  September  25,  1873,  and  served 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  27 

as  inspector  of  government  vessels  from  1877  to  1880.  During  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion  he  served  in  the  Gulf,  North  and  South  Atlan- 
tic Blockading  Squadrons.  He  was  at  both  engagements  with  Fort 
Fisher,  and  those  with  the  batteries  on  Cape  Fear  River,  and  sev- 
eral minor  engagements  while  on  the  blockade.  He  was  up  James 
River  when  Richmond  was  taken.  He  received  orders  to  com- 
mand the  United  States  naval  force,  South  Atlantic  Station,  on 
May  5,  1881,  and  was  promoted  to  rear-admiral  on  the  28th 
of  the  same  month.  He  relieved  Rear-Admiral  Bryson,  on  board 
the  U.  S.  flag-ship  "  Shenandoah,"  at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  on  July 
25  following.  He  transferred  his  flag  from  the  "Shenandoah" 
to  the  "  Brooklyn"  on  January  30  of  this  year,  and  started  on 
a  cruise  to  visit  the  ports  within  the  limits  of  the  station. 

He  was  within  two  days  of  being  sixty  years  old  when  he  died, 
and  his  death  was  a  painful  shock  to  us  all,  and  a  great  loss  to  our 
country,  which  he  served  with  distinction  and  fidelity  for  forty-five 
years.  The  admiral  was  a  very  genial  gentleman,  and  was  much 
beloved  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  made  his  home  in  California, 
where,  as  will  be  seen  from  his  record,  he  passed  the  greater  por- 
tion of  his  life.  Becoming  identified  with  the  people  on  the  Pa- 
cific slope,  his  death  was  a  great  blow  to  a  host  of  friends.  He 
left  a  widow,  two  sons,  and  one  daughter. 

The  remains  of  Admiral  Spotts  were  laid  in  state  in  a  semi- 
metallic  casket  on  a  catafalque  on  the  quarter-deck  the  day  of  the 
funeral.  His  sword  and  cocked  hat  were  placed  on  the  casket, 
which  also  was  covered  with  a  number  of  beautiful  floral  tributes, 
kindly  sent  by  the  ladies  on  shore.  Marines  were  posted  at  each 
angle,  and  the  ship's  company  were  given  an  opportunity  to  take 
a  last  look  at  the  features  of  our  late  commander-in-chief.  At 
1.45  P.M.  the  assembly  was  sounded  and  the  funeral  escort  formed. 
The  marines  were  drawn  up  on  the  port  side  of  the  quarter-deck, 
while  two  companies  of  sailors  formed  in  the  port  gangway.  The 
band  was  posted  abaft  the  mainmast,  and  the  rest  of  the  ship's 
company  came  aft  in  the  starboard  gangway. 


28  THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Governor  Kerr,  the  United  States  consul,  the  Hon.  Mr.  Dean, 
vice-consul,  and  Mr.  Kerr  stood  with  the  officers  on  the  starboard 
side  of  the  quarter-deck.  The  band  then  played  "  Nearer,  my 
Grod,  to  Thee,"  after  which  Bishop  Stirling,  Colonial  Chaplain 
Brandon,  and  Chaplain  Royce  came  from  the  cabin  and  read  the 
burial  service  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  After  the  bishop  had 
read  the  lesson  the  following  hymn  was  sung,  accompanied  by  a 
portion  of  the  band : 

"  My  God,  my  Father,  while  I  stray, 
Far  from  my  home  on  life's  rough  way, 
Oh,  teach  me  from  my  heart  to  say, 

*  Thy  will  be  done.' 

"  Though  dark  my  path,  and  sad  my  lot, 
Let  me  be  still  and  murmur  not. 
And  breathe  the  prayer  divinely  taught, 

*  Thy  will  be  done.' 

"  What  though  in  lonely  grief  I  sigh 
For  friends  beloved  no  longer  nigh. 
Submissive  still  would  I  reply, 
'  Thy  will  be  done.' 

"  If  thou  shouldst  call  me  to  resign 
What  most  I  prize, — it  ne'er  was  mine; 
I  only  yield  thee  what  is  thine, — 

*  Thy  will  be  done.' " 

The  marines,  band,  and  two  companies  then  went  ashore  in  the 
boats  in  tow  of  the  steam-launch.  While  they  were  on  the  way 
the  casket  was  closed  and  hoisted  out  over  the  starboard  gangway, 
being  piped  over  the  side  and  lowered  into  the  barge,  in  which  it 
was  taken  ashore  with  the  pall-bearers  and  barge's  crew  composing 
the  body-bearers.  A  salute  of  thirteen  minute-guns  was  fired 
while  on  the  way  ashore,  the  steam-launch  towing  all  the  boats. 
As  soon  as  they  reached  the  shore  Lieutenant-Commander  Anthony 
took  command  of  the  escort,  and  drew  them  up  in  line,  presenting 
arms  as  the  remains  passed  by  to  take  position  in  the  line. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  29 

The  procession  then  started  towards  the  cemetery,  headed  by 
the  band,  in  charge  of  Midshipman  Gaboon,  then  the  full  marine 
guard,  under  command  of  Captain  Meeker.  The  bishop  and  two 
chaplains  followed  the  marines,  after  which  came  the  bier,  borne 
by  the  twelve  bargemen  selected  as  body-bearers,  in  charge  of 
Midshipman  Ripley,  the  admiral's  aide.  The  pall-bearers  were 
Chief  Engineer  Dungan,  Paymaster  Goldsborough,  Passed  Assist- 
ant Surgeon  Martin,  Lieutenants  Beehler  and  Hunker,  and  Passed 
Assistant  Surgeon  Steele. 

The  admiral's  coxswain  followed  the  bier  with  the  admiral's  flag 
wrapped  with  crape.  Two  companies  of  sailors,  under  command 
of  Lieutenants  Sebree  and  Handy,  with  Lieutenant  Calhoun  as 
adjutant,  came  next,  followed  by  the  rest  of  the  oflBcers  in  inverse 
order  according  to  rank,  Governor  Kerr  and  his  council  walking 
with  our  officers. 

The  whole  population  of  Stanley  joined  in  the  funeral  honors, 
and  did  their  utmost  to  express  their  sympathy  with  us  in  our  be- 
reavement. While  marching  to  the  cemetery  the  band  played  a 
funeral  march  from  Beethoven  and  "  Flee  as  a  Bird,"  and  the 
battery  on  shore  fired  a  salute  of  thirteen  minute-guns.  Reaching 
the  cemetery,  the  marines  formed  in  line  on  one  side  of  the  grave, 
with  the  sailors  on  the  left,  and  the  officers  and  citizens  on  the 
right,  while  the  bishop  read  the  sentences  from  the  prayer-book. 
The  casket  was  then  removed  from  the  bier  and  placed  over  the 
grave ;  the  sword,  hat,  and  flowers  having  been  removed,  it  was 
solemnly  lowered  into  the  grave,  while  the  band  played  a  dirge  and 
the  marines  presented  arms.  Chaplain  Royce  then  said  the  com* 
mittal  service,  and  the  bishop  read  the  concluding  prayers  and 
pronounced  the  benediction.  The  marine  guard  then  fired  three 
volleys  of  musketry  over  the  grave,  and  the  funeral  procession 
marched  to  the  landing,  and  returned  to  the  ship  in  boats  in  tow 
of  the  steam-launch. 

The  lot  was  kindly  presented  by  His  Excellency  Governor  T. 
Kerr,  and  is  in  the  centre  of  the  cemetery,  on  a  hill  overlooking 

8 


30  THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

the  harbor,  directly  opposite  the  anchorage.  The  grave  is  a  solid 
structure  of  stone  and  brick  built  in  the  earth,  while  the  casket 
rests  in  an  outer  case  of  two-inch  ash.  The  grave  is  marked 
by  a  handsome  wooden  cross  covered  with  copper,  and  bears  the 
inscription, — 

Rea.b-Adhiral  James  H.   Spotts,  U.S.N. 

Died  March  9,  1882. 

Aged  60  Years. 

At  sunset  the  admiral's  flag  was  hoisted  and  saluted  with 
thirteen  guns,  and  then  hauled  down,  and  the  long  pennant  of 
Captain  A.  W.  Weaver  was  broken  at  the  main. 

A  SQUADRON  ORDER. 
In  consequence  of  the  death  of  Rear- Admiral  Spotts,  Captain 
A.  W.  Weaver  assumed  command  of  the  South  Atlantic  Station 
in  the  following  general  order : 

Squadron  Order  |     U.  S.  S.  "  Brooklyn,"  Stanley,  Falkland  Islands, 

No.  1.  J  March  13,  1882. 

It  has  become  my  sad  duty  to  announce  to  the  squadron  that  the  commander- 
in-chief,  Rear-Admiral  James  H.  Spotts,  died  of  apoplexy  on  board  this  ship 
at  this  port  at  10.41  p.m.  on  the  9th  instant. 

In  accordance  with  United  States  Navy  Regulations,  page  32,  paragraph  60, 
I  have  assumed  command  of  the  South  Atlantic  Station  from  that  date,  and 
shall  exercise  the  power  and  authority  of  senior  oflScer  until  oflScially  notified 
of  the  arrival  within  the  limits  of  the  station  of  the  ofScer  duly  appointed  ae 
commander-in-chief. 

All  orders  and  regulations  relating  to  the  squadron  established  by  my  pre- 
decessor will  remain  in  force,  excepting  as  they  may  hereafter  be  modified  by 
me. 

The  officers  composing  the  personal  staff  of  the  late  commander-in-chief 
will  cease  to  exercise  their  duties  in  accordance  with  United  States  Navy 
Regulations,  page  35,  paragraph  12. 

A.  "W.  WEAVER, 
Captain  Commanding,  U.  S.  Naval  Force, 
South  Atlantic  Station. 


THE  CRUISE  OF    THE  BROOKLYN.  31 


CHAPTER  III. 

Departure  from  Port  Stanley — The  Qale  off  the  Month  of  the  River  Plate — 
The  first  "  General  Liberty"  for  the  Ship's  Company — The  Stupid  Arrest 
of  "  Perfectly  Sober"  Liberty-men — The  Successful  Cruise  of  the  "  Marion" 
— Search  and  Rescue  of  Shipwrecked  Seamen  on  Heard  Island  in  the 
Antarctic  Ocean — The  "  Pamperos" — The  "  Brooklyn"  run  into  by  Steamer 
"Mozart" — Courtesy  of  Uruguayan  Authorities  and  other  Men-of-W»r  at 
Montevideo — The  Assistance  rendered  to  the  burning  American  Bark 
"Jonathan  Chase"— The  "Brooklyn"  Base-Ball  Nine, 

On  Monday,  March  13,  we  fired  a  salute  of  seventeen  guns, 
with  the  English  flag  at  the  fore,  in  honor  of  Governor  T.  Kerr's 
visit  on  March  9,  the  salute  not  having  been  fired  at  that  time 
owing  to  the  sudden  illness  of  the  admiral. 

The  divisions  went  ashore  for  target-practice  with  the  Hotchkiss 
magazine-rifles  and  the  Remington  navy-pistol.  The  range  was 
laid  out  on  the  side  of  the  hill  on  the  naval  reservation,  one  hun- 
dred yards  for  the  rifles  and  twenty-five  yards  for  the  Remington 
pistols  at  a  single  target.  The  practice  is  considered  fair  for  the 
first  time,  the  best  score  being  made  by  John  Winters,  carpenter, 
belonging  to  the  powder  division,  his  score  being  perfect,  three 
bull's-eyes. 

At  10.7  A.M.  on  Tuesday,  March  14,  we  got  under  way  under 
steam  and  stood  out  of  the  harbor,  and  then  shaped  our  course 
around  the  eastern  end  of  Falkland  Islands  direct  for  Monte- 
video. We  experienced  very  good  weather  from  Stanley  for  the 
first  four  days,  and  the  ship  went  along  about  nine  knots  per  hour 
until  the  evening  of  the  18th,  when  we  had  a  moderate  gale  from 
the  southwest.  The  gale  continued  all  that  night  and  the  next 
day,  during  which  the  ship  lay  to  under  fore  storm-staysail,  main 
trysail,  and  storm-mizzen  on  the  starboard  tack.     The  greatest  roll 


32  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

during  the  gale  was  fourteen  degrees  to  windward  and  twenty-five 
to  leeward. 

The  gale  abated  at  sunrise  on  the  21  st  of  March,  and  we  then 
stood  in  for  the  anchorage  off  Montevideo.  We  anchored  some 
distance  below  the  city  at  12.13  A.M.  on  the  22d,  and  then  got 
under  way  again  at  9  A.M.  and  proceeded  up  nearer  the  city, 
where  we  anchored  at  9.45  a.m. 

The  mail  came  off  during  the  afternoon,  and  a  despatch  was 
sent  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  announcing  the  death  of  the 
admiral.  The  despatch  contained  but  fifteen  words  and  cost 
thirteen  pounds  sterling,  or  four  dollars  and  seven  cents  per  word 
in  Uruguayan  money, — four  dollars  and  twenty-two  cents  in 
United  States  coin.     The  despatch  read : 

Secretary  Navy,  Washington  : 

Admiral  Spotts  died  Stanlej,  Falkland  Islands,  March  ninth.  Apoplexy. 
Baried  there. 

Weaver. 

On  Saturday,  March  25,  we  got  under  way  and  stood  down  the 
river  for  target-practice,  coming  to  anchor  at  8.45  a.m.  about  nine 
miles  below  the  city  of  Montevideo.  The  English  flag-ship 
"  Garnet"  got  under  way  about  the  same  time,  and  also  had  target- 
practice  during  the  day. 

A  regulation  target  was  then  sent  out  and  anchored  abreast 
of  the  ship.  At  11.30  a.m.  we  went  to  general  quarters  and  com- 
menced to  fire  at  the  target.  An  exercise  torpedo  was  also  rigged 
out  on  the  starboard  forward  torpedo-boom  and  duly  exploded. 
We  anchored  in  the  afternoon,  and  ceased  to  drill  at  3.42  p.m. 
We  then  remained  at  anchor  all  the  next  day,  it  being  Sunday, 
and  resumed  the  target-practice  Monday  morning.  Improvised 
targets  were  sent  out  on  each  beam  early  Monday  morning,  March 
27,  about  eleven  hundred  yards  distant,  and  six  rounds  were  fired 
from  each  gun.  The  starboard  target  was  carried  away  by  a  shell 
from  No.  6  gun,  fired  by  H.  E.  Collyer,  ordinary  seaman. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  33 

The  projectiles  from  the  8-inch  rifle  invariably  struck  very 
close  to  the  target,  and  the  accuracy  of  this  gun  inspired  the 
greatest  confidence.  The  60-pounder  breech-loading  rifle  was  the 
most  inaccurate  of  all.  Five  rounds  were  also  fired  from  each  of 
the  four  Hotchkiss  revolving  cannon. 

At  10.55  A.M.  we  got  under  way,  and  returned  to  the  anchorage 
off  the  city  of  Montevideo.  Visits  of  courtesy  were  then  re- 
ceived from  H.  B.  M.  S.  "  Garnet,"  the  Brazilian  steamer 
"  Sete  de  Setembro,"  and  the  Italian  flag-ship  *'  Carracciolo." 

We  found  considerable  excitement  on  shore  owing  to  some 
mal-treatment  of  Italian  subjects  by  the  Uruguayan  police.  The 
Italians  demanded  redress,  and,  after  considerable  diplomatic  cor- 
respondence and  a  judicial  investigation  by  the  courts,  the  Uru- 
guayan government  agreed  to  pay  twenty-five  thousand  francs  to 
each  of  the  two  Italians — Volpi  and  Patroni — and  to  salute  the 
Italian  flag  when  the  Italian  legation  was  re-established.  This 
salute  of  twenty-one  guns  was  returned  by  the  Italian  flag-ship, 
gun  for  gun. 

On  Wednesday,  March  29,  forty-eight  hours'  liberty  was  given 
to  the  starboard  watch.  As  this  was  the  first  "  general  liberty" 
granted  since  the  ship  went  into  commission,  it  of  course  occa- 
sioned considerable  excitement  among  the  men,  and  this  excite- 
ment became  so  intense  soon  after  their  arrival  on  shore  that  the 
Uruguayan  authorities  found  it  necessary  to  invite  several  of  the 
most  demonstrative  to  the  cahildo,  where  they  were  permitted  to 
remain  until  they  cooled  off. 

When  the  men  finally  got  back  to  the  ship,  the  events  which 
had  occurred  during  the  "  general  liberty"  were  thoroughly  dis- 
cussed, and  many  wild  and  thrilling  yarns  were  told.  It  was 
claimed  that  liberty-men  had  been  assaulted  in  the  streets  by 
drunken  citizens,  robbed  by  hotel- keepers,  insulted  by  policemen, 
and  finally  arrested  and  shoved  in  the  "jug"  without  cause.  Two 
marines  had  some  trouble  to  find  lodgings,  and  not  being  able  to 
Bpeak  Spanish,  tried  to  make  their  wants  known  by  signs  and  ges- 


34  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

ticulations  to  a  policeman.  The  stupid  policeman  fancied  the  men 
were  going  to  strike  him,  and  a  row  soon  ensued,  which  culmi- 
nated in  the  arrest  of  the  marines  by  about  six  or  eight  policemen, 
■who  lodged  them  in  the  cabildo  for  several  days. 

One  sailor  found  a  coat  lying  in  the  street,  about  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  and  thought  he  had  found  a  prize,  but  was  soon 
afterwards  arrested  for  stealing.  When  his  case  came  up  in 
court,  he  explained  to  the  court  that  he  was  from  Ohio,  and  the 
judge  promptly  released  him,  recognizing  the  well-known  fact  that 
people  in  Ohio  generally  "  take  things,"  political  offices  included. 
The  remainder  of  the  ship  went  on  liberty  in  smaller  detachments, 
until  finally  every  one  in  the  ship  had  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Montevideo. 

OBITUARY. 

William  Brown,  captain  of  the  after-guard,  died  at  4.20  A.M., 
on  April  13,  of  pneumonia,  in  the  fifty -eighth  year  of  his  age. 
The  deceased  was  born  at  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana,  and  served  in 
the  navy  for  twenty-four  years  previous  to  this  enlistment.  He 
was  a  faithful  man,  spoke  Spanish  fluently,  and  was  often  called 
upon  to  act  as  interpreter.  He  stood  high  in  the  estimation  of 
his  shipmates,  who  were  very  anxious  to  express  their  sense  of 
his  death  by  contributing  generously  for  his  funeral  expenses, 
thus  providing  a  handsome  black  cloth  casket.  The  funeral  took 
place  the  next  day,  with  the  usual  naval  honors.  A  Roman  Cath- 
olic priest  conducted  the  services  on  board  and  also  at  the  vault. 
The  marine  guard  fired  three  volleys  when  the  funeral  escort  left 
the  ship  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Handy.  His  remains 
were  deposited  in  niche  No.  39,  second  row,  in  the  Central  Ceme- 
tery, Montevideo,  this  niche  being  the  property  of  the  crew  of  the 
«  Brooklyn." 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  35 

THE     RESCUE     OF     THE     CREW     OF     THE    AMERICAN    BARK 
"TRINITY." 

The  bark  "  Trinity"  sailed  from  New  London  for  Heard  Island 
June  1,  1880,  having  a  crew  of  sixteen  men  all  told.  On  June 
25  she  reached  Fogo,  one  of  the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands,  where 
she  shipped  nineteen  colored  natives  in  addition  to  her  crew.  She 
reached  Heard  Island  October  2,  1880.  On  October  17,  while 
at  anchor  off  the  island,  she  dragged  during  a  heavy  northeast 
gale  and  went  on  the  beach  bows  on.  The  crew  succeeded  in  get- 
ting ashore  without  loss  of  life.  The  wind  then  shifted,  and  the 
bark  was  blown  off  the  beach  to  seaward  and  never  seen  again. 
Some  provisions  had  been  thrown  overboard  before  the  ship  went 
ashore,  and  the  crew  sustained  themselves  on  these  and  sea-ele- 
phants' meat  and  sea-fowl  for  about  fifteen  months,  but  starvation 
was  imminent  when  the  '*  Marion"  came  to  their  rescue. 

The  "  Marion"  sailed  from  Monteviedo  for  Heard  Island  on 
November  14,  1881,  via  Cape  Town,  Africa.  She  left  Cape  Town 
December  24,  and  arrived  off  Heard  Island  January  12,  1882. 

The  "  Marion"  discovered  the  crew  of  the  "  Trinity"  about  five 
P.M.,  January  12,  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain.  Signals  were  made 
at  once,  and  the  crew  kept  up  a  bright  bonfire  during  the  night  to 
prove  that  they  were  present.  The  next  morning  the  "  Marion" 
lowered  her  boats  and  brought  off  thirty  of  the  crew.  Three 
others  were  rescued  the  next  day  from  the  other  end  of  the  island, 
while  two  others — George  Watson,  carpenter,  and  Bernard  Kelly, 
seaman — had  died  January  30,  1881,  from  exposure  while  hunt- 
ing for  food. 

The  "  Marion"  arrived  at  Cape  Town  February  20,  1882,  and 
delivered  the  rescued  crew  of  the  *'  Trinity"  to  the  American 
consul  at  that  place. 

Commander  Silas  Terry,  commanding  the  "Marion,"  tele- 
graphed his  success  to  the  Navy  Department,  and  at  New  London, 
Connecticut,  there  was  great  rejoicing  among  the  friends  of  the 


36  THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

rescued  crew,  who  gave  the  "  Marion"  a  great  deal  of  well-deserved 
praise. 

We  saw  a  very  interesting  account  in  the  Cape  Times  of  Cape 
Town,  Africa,  of  assistance  rendered  by  the  "  Marion"  in  floating 
the  English  ship  "  Poonah,"  which  was  stranded  in  Table  Bay. 
The  sea  was  very  high,  and  they  had  considerable  difficulty  in 
running  the  lines.  The  "  Marion"  parted  her  hawsers  twice,  but 
moved  the  ship  about  fifty  feet  in  all,  so  that  when  the  next 
tide  rose  the  ship  floated  off  and  was  saved  from  being  a  total 
wreck. 

During  March  and  April,  1882,  the  "  Brooklyn"  lay  at  anchor 
in  the  roadstead  off  Montevideo,  where  she  rode  out  a  number 
of  the  celebrated,  but  none  the  less  unpleasant,  "  pamperos."  The 
starboard  sheet-anchor  was  let  go  three  times,  April  21  and  29, 
and  May  6,  and  the  last  time  it  blew  so  heavy  th^t  it  was  found 
necessary  to  get  up  steam  for  fear  that  we  might  drag,  as  did 
almost  every  other  vessel  in  the  harbor. 

The  "  pamperos"  were  certainly  bad  enough,  but  to  crown  our 
sum  of  misfortune  the  ship  was  rammed  by  the  steamer  "  Mozart" 
at  7.10  P.M.  on  the  1st  of  May,  and  badly  damaged.  This  col- 
lision was  totally  inexcusable.  The  ship  was  lying  at  anchor  with 
ample  room  on  all  sides  for  passing  vessels,  while  the  evening  was 
partially  moonlit  and  the  sea  smooth.  The  "  Mozart,"  of  the  Lam- 
port &  Holt  Steamship  Company,  in  charge  of  Captain  Pym,  had 
been  at  anchor  near  us  during  the  day,  and  was  coming  out  on 
her  way  to  Buenos  Ayres,  when  the  officer  of  the  deck,  Lieutenant 
H.  0.  Handy,  saw  that  she  was  coming  dangerously  near. 

He  hailed  the  steamer  and  warned  her  to  keep  clear,  and  at  the 
same  time  told  them  to  back  the  engines.  His  warning  was  not 
heeded,  and  the  steamer  came  on  until  she  struck  the  "  Brooklyn" 
on  the  starboard  quarter,  abreast  of  the  air-port  of  the  third  state- 
room in  the  wardroom,  crushing  through  the  spare  jib-boom,  which 
was  lashed  alongside,  and  cutting  the  ship  down  through  twenty- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  37 

two  planks  from  the  port-sill  streak  to  about  four  feet  below  the 
water-line. 

The  force  of  the  blow  was  very  violent,  and  the  crash  as  heard 
below  was  as  if  she  would  be  cut  in  two.  The  officers  and  crew 
promptly  came  on  deck, — it  is  believed  none  delayed  getting  up 
there, — and  prompt  measures  were  at  once  taken  for  the  safety  of 
the  ship  and  crew.  The  "  Mozart''  backed  out  very  soon  after 
colliding,  and  the  ship  was  at  once  heeled  over  to  bring  the  star- 
board side  out  of  water  as  far  as  possible.  The  starboard  boats 
were  all  lowered,  the  starboard  battery  run  in  and  shifted  to  port, 
and  steam  was  ordered  in  the  port  boilers  so  as  to  be  able  to  use 
the  steam- pumps,  if  necessary,  and  also  to  still  further  increase 
the  list  to  port. 

The  "  Mozart"  had  about  two  thousand  tons  of  freight,  and  the 
force  with  which  she  struck  would  have  sunk  any  less  stanch  a 
ship.  The  damages  were  carefully  examined  the  next  morning  by 
a  board  of  survey,  consisting  of  Chief  Engineer  W.  W.  Dungan, 
Lieutenant-Commander  C.  M.  Anthony,  and  Carpenter  J.  S.  Wal- 
termeyer.  From  their  examination  it  was  found  that  the  spare  jib- 
boom  saved  the  ship  from  total  destruction.  The  ship  was  struck 
at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  and  the  shock  was  transmitted 
diagonally  across  from  No.  3  state-room  on  the  starboard  side  of 
the  wardroom  over  to  the  forward  part  of  the  port  steerage.  This 
course  was  marked  by  broken  and  sprung  timbers,  while  the  open 
Beams  on  the  spar-deck  and  poop  were  further  evidence  of  the  severe 
strain  to  which  the  ship  was  subjected. 

The  barge  was  badly  stove  in  and  its  forward  davits  broken ; 
but  the  ship  made  no  water,  and  the  breach  in  the  ship's  side  was 
promptly  closed  by  the  energetic  measures  taken  by  Carpenter  J. 
S.  Walter meyer  and  his  gang  of  shipwrights,  whose  work  deserves 
our  highest  commendation. 

The  captain  of  the  "  Mozart"  acted  very  manly  in  acknowledg- 
ing himself  to  blame  and  in  asking  if  he  could  be  of  any  assistance 
as  soon  as  he  collided,  but  this  was  not  necessary ;  he  then  came 


38  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

on  board,  but  the  only  explanation  he  could  give  of  his  stupidity 
was  that  it  was  unintentional  and  that  he  thought  he  would  pass 
clear  astern.  The  "  Mozart"  did  not  sustain  the  least  injury, 
having  struck  with  her  sharp  straight  stem.  No  persons  were 
injured. 

Boats,  tugs,  and  steamers  swarmed  around  the  ship,  and  offers 
of  assistance  were  most  generously  made  by  the  authorities  on 
shore  and  the  Italian  and  British  men-of-war.  The  Uruguayan 
government  sent  off  two  tugs  to  lay  by  the  ship  all  night  and 
render  any  assistance  which  might  be  needed,  and  also  a  govern- 
ment pilot  in  case  it  should  be  deemed  practicable  to  go  into  the 
dry-dock. 

The  dry-dock  owned  by  Cibils  &  Co.  is  a  magnificent  structure, 
but,  unfortunately,  the  channel  leading  to  it  is  shallow,  narrow, 
and  rock-bound.  Some  parties  claimed  that  seventeen  feet  of 
water  could  be  carried  into  the  dock,  and  on  the  strength  of  this 
Captain  Weaver  began  to  take  measures  to  lighten  the  ship  to  that 
draught.  The  ship's  company  at  once  commenced  to  discharge 
provisions  and  coal  into  the  lighters,  working  night  and  day  by 
watches  for  that  purpose.  The  provisions  were  stored  in  the  cus- 
tom-house, and  coal  was  sent  in  lighters.  It  was  very  tedious 
work  to  get  the  coal  out  of  the  after-bunker,  because  it  all  had 
to  come  up  through  the  ash-shute,  after  being  carried  around 
and  through  the  engine-room  in  buckets  of  one  hundred  pounds 
each. 

Captain  Weaver  was  not  satisfied  with  the  vague  assertions  con- 
cerning the  depth  of  the  channel  leading  to  the  dry-dock,  and  on 
Wednesday  morning  following  he  made  a  personal  examination 
with  Chief  Engineer  Dungan  and  Lieutenant-Commander  An- 
thony as  to  the  nature  and  depth  of  this  channel,  from  which  he 
found  it  to  be  impossible  to  take  the  ship  into  the  dry-dock ;  and 
he,  therefore,  decided  to  go  to  Rio  de  Janeiro  as  soon  as  he  could, 
make  the  ship  sea-worthy,  and  dock  the  ship  there. 

The  carpenter  and  his  gang  closed  the  breach  temporarily  the 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  39 

same  night  by  the  following  means :  the  side  was  covered  with 
tarred  canvas,  planked  over  by  two-inch  planks,  which  were 
calked  and  again  covered  with  tarred  canvas,  and  the  whole 
sheathed  over  with  three-inch  pine. 

Captain  Amazega,  of  the  Italian  corvette  "  Carracciolo,"  was 
very  courteous  in  offering  his  services,  and  when  he  heard  that 
we  would  have  to  go  to  Rio  he  offered  to  convoy  us  there,  and 
to  be  of  any  further  assistance  as  might  be  necessary.  The  cap- 
tain of  H.  B.  M.  S.  "  Rifleman"  was  also  very  courteous,  and 
at  the  time  of  the  collision  he  was  about  to  get  up  steam  and 
come  out  to  our  assistance,  but  found  it  was  not  necessary  to 
do  so. 

The  Italian  corvette  "  Carracciolo"  left  here  at  ten  a.m..  May  11, 
for  the  Pacific.  When  she  got  under  way  she  exchanged  compli- 
mentary signals  with  us,  and  Captain  Weaver  signalled  him  a 
pleasant  voyage. 

THE  BURNING  OF  THE  "JONATHAN  CHASE." 

On  the  morning  of  May  9  the  American  bark  "  Jonathan 
Chase,"  Captain  Costigan,  lying  off  Montevideo,  caught  fire  and 
was  totally  destroyed,  notwithstanding  the  assistance  rendered  by 
the  «  Brooklyn." 

The  fire  was  first  discovered  by  those  on  board  about  midnight. 
At  the  time  her  captain  was  on  shore  and  the  vessel  was  in  charge 
of  the  first  mate.  The  mate  and  crew  did  everything  in  their 
power  to  save  the  ship,  but  were  unable  to  get  the  fire  under 
control.  As  the  greater  portion  of  the  cargo  was  made  up  of  pe- 
troleum, glycerine,  and  kerosene,  an  explosion  was  feared,  and  con- 
sequently, at  one  A.M.,  the  "  Jonathan  Chase"  was  abandoned  by 
all  hands. 

The  boats  from  the  bark  pulled  in  to  the  "  Brooklyn"  for  refuge, 
and  to  ask  if  assistance  could  be  rendered.  This  was  the  first 
that  was  known  of  the  fire,  the  flames  being  invisible,  as  they 
were  entirely  confined  below  hatches. 


40  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

As  soon  as  the  facts  were  reported  to  Captain  Weaver,  two 
cutters  were  immediately  called  away,  and  Lieutenant  Calhoun  and 
Midshipman  Ripley  volunteered  to  go  in  charge  of  the  boats,  board 
the  bark,  and  make  an  attempt  to  save  her.  The  crew  of  the  bark 
were  very  much  afraid  of  an  explosion,  and  some  of  them  would 
not  return  in  the  cutter  and  assist  our  men.  The  boats'  crews, 
however,  were  not  afraid  of  anything,  and  boarded  the  bark  in 
spite  of  many  warnings.  First  the  deck -load  of  glycerine  was 
hove  overboard.  The  bark  was  then  examined,  and  it  was  found 
that  the  fire  had  gained  such  headway  that  it  was  beyond  control. 
A  second  time  the  bark  was  abandoned,  but  not  until  the  ship's 
papers  had  been  obtained,  together  with  all  the  personal  effects  of 
the  captain  and  crew. 

Later,  by  request  of  Captain  Costigan  and  by  the  consent  of  the 
port  authorities,  an  attempt  was  made  to  sink  the  vessel  and  thereby 
save  a  portion  of  the  cargo,  which  could  easily  be  obtained  after- 
wards by  raising  the  hull.  A  howitzer  was  lowered  into  one  of  the 
cutters,  and  Midshipman  Ripley  volunteered  to  take  charge.  The 
attempt  failed.  Although  several  holes  were  blown  through  her 
sides,  they  were  not  far  enough  below  the  water-line  to  allow  the 
water  to  flow  in  with  sufficient  rapidity  to  sink  the  vessel  in  time. 

By  eight  a.m.  it  was  blowing  fresh ;  a  pampero  had  set  in  and 
the  sea  was  beginning  to  rise.  About  nine  o'clock  the  bark  was 
given  up  and  left  to  her  fate,  it  being  too  rough  for  a  boat  to  lay 
alongside.  Soon  after  Midshipman  Ripley  left  the  vessel  her 
masts  went  by  the  board  with  all  the  rigging. 


EXTRACT  FROM  THE  "BUENOS  AYRES  HERALD." 
"FBOM  OUR  OWN  COERESPONDENT. 

"  Montevideo,  May  5,  18S2. 

"  To  THE  Editor  op  the  '  Herald.' 

"  Sir, — In  conversation  with  Captain  Costigan,  of  the  '  Jonathan 
Chase,'  the  other  day,  I  was  greatly  pleased  to  hear  him  speak  so 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  41 

highly  of  several  of  the  oflBccrs  of  the  U.  S.  S.  *  Brooklyn,'  who 
assisted  him  during  the  terrible  destruction  of  hia  vessel.  He 
particularly  mentioned  Lieutenants  Calhoun  and  Jackson,  and 
Midshipman  Ripley,  who  aided  him  and  his  oflBcers  and  crew 
in  saving  their  personal  effects  on  board  at  considerable  risk 
and  trouble,  and  afterwards  tendered  him  and  his  crew  every  as- 
sistance and  condolence  that  lay  in  their  power.  This  tribute, 
coming  as  it  did  from  an  experienced  mariner,  must  be  highly 
gratifying  to  those  gentlemen  who  so  nobly  earned  it,  and  I  sin- 
cerely hope  that  the  copy  of  the  Herald  with  this  Montevidean 
letter  in  it  will  find  its  way  on  to  the  table  of  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  at  Washington.  Gallant  conduct,  such  as  shown  by  those 
gentlemen  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  instant,  is  deserving  of  all 
praise  and  publicity,  and  I  hope  that  they  will  live  to  prosper  in 
the  noble  profession  they  have  chosen." 

The  "  Jonathan  Chase"  was  from  New  York  bound  for  Valpa- 
raiso, and  had  put  into  Montevideo  to  repair  her  rudder  and 
mizzen-mast.  Part  of  the  cargo  had  been  landed  for  these  repairs, 
which  was  thus  fortunately  saved.  The  ship  and  cargo  were  only 
partially  insured.  Captain  Costigan  lost  nearly  all  his  savings  by 
this  dreadful  disaster. 

BASE-BALL. 

The  "Brooklyn"  base-ball  nine,  composed  of  the  officers  and 
apprentices  of  the  "  Brooklyn,"  was  organized  on  April  1,  and  con- 
siderable interest  was  taken  in  this  sport.  The  manager  of  the  Eng- 
lish Cricket  Club  having  kindly  tendered  the  use  of  the  grounds, 
a  practice  game  was  played  there  April  28,  in  which  the  boys  came 
out  second  best.  It  was  then  decided  to  hold  a  match  game  May 
1,  and  a  number  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  were  invited,  about  fifty 
attending.  The  officers  appeared  in  white  caps,  leggings,  and 
shirts,  and  blue  pants ;  the  boys  in  blue.  Both  sides  played  ten 
men.     The  game  commenced  at  about  2.30  p.m.     The  boys  won 


42  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

the  toss  and  sent  the  officers  to  the  bat.  The  boys  had  reorgan- 
ized their  nine  and  appeared  to  better  advantage,  and  their  new 
pitcher,  McCabe,  puzzled  for  a  while  the  heavy  batters  among 
the  officers,  several  of  them  striking  and  fouling  out,  and  they 
found  that  they  had  to  be  very  careful  in  running  bases,  McCabe 
kept  such  a  sharp  lookout  on  them.  Nothing  of  particular  interest 
occurred  in  the  first  three  innings,  in  which  the  officers  slightly 
led.  In  the  fourth  inning  the  game  commenced  to  be  interesting, 
as  the  boys  made  three  runs  and  tied  the  score.  In  the  sixth  and 
seventh  innings  the  officers  got  on  to  McCabe's  pitching,  several 
two-  and  three-baggers  and  single-base  hits  being  made,  which  gave 
the  fielders  plenty  of  exercise.  Eleven  runs  were  the  result  of 
these  two  innings.  This  settled  the  game,  as  the  boys  seemed  to 
be  discouraged,  and  only  added  one  run  more  to  their  score.  At 
five  P.M.,  owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  game  was  called,  the 
score  standing  twenty  to  nine  in  favor  of  the  officers.  Lieutenant 
Calhoun  and  Passed  Assistant  Surgeon  Steele  excelled  at  the  bat, 
the  former  making  a  beautiful  drive  to  centre  field  for  three  bases. 
Lieutenant  Hunker  also  made  a  pretty  three-bagger.  The  boye 
were  weak  at  the  bat,  not  being  able  to  gauge  Mr.  Goldsborough's 
delivery.  On  the  part  of  the  officers.  Lieutenants  Calhoun  and 
Hunker  and  Cadet-Engineer  Beach  excelled  in  the  field,  the  former 
making  two  beautiful  and  difficult  foul  catches,  one  after  a  hard 
run  and  the  other  after  falling  on  his  back.  Mr.  Beach's  play  at 
first  base  was  all  that  could  be  desired.  Wright  excelled  in  the 
field  on  the  part  of  the  boys,  both  as  first  baseman  and  afterwards 
as  catcher,  and  caught  McCabe's  swift  delivery  manfully.  Allen 
caught  well  in  the  first  part  of  the  game,  but  had  to  retire  to  short 
stop  on  account  of  injuring  a  finger.  Lieutenant  Beehler  filled 
the  position  of  umpire  very  satisfactorily,  and  pluckily  received 
several  hot  balls  on  his  feet  and  arms. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 


43 


OFFICERS. 

Nteines  and  Position. 
Lt.  Q.  A.  Calhoun,  c.  &  s.  s. 
Lt.  J.  J.  Hunker,  s.  s.  &  c. 
P.  A.  Surg.  J.  M.  Steele,  1.  f. 
2d  Lt.  S.  L.  Jackson,  r.  g.  s. 
A.  Eng.  S.  H.  Leonard,  2d  b. 
Mid'n  J.  B.  Gaboon,  3d  b. 
Cadet-Mid'n  G.  E.  Perry,  c.  f. 
Cadet-Eng.  R.  J.  Beach,  1st  b, 
Pay-Clerk  Goldsborougb,  p. 
Lt.  H.  0.  Handy,  r.  f. 


T.  B. 

IB. 

B. 

0. 

.     5 

3 

3 

1 

.       5 

1 

3 

1 

.     5 

3 

2 

3 

.     5 

0 

1 

3 

.     6 

2 

3 

2 

.     5 

0 

0 

4 

.     5 

0 

2 

2 

.     3 

1 

2 

1 

.    4 

0 

2 

2 

.    i 

1 

2 

2 

APPBBNTICE-BOrS. 

Names  and  Position. 
John  McCabe,  p. 
C.  B.  Allen,  c.  &  e.  s. 
R.  M.  Wright,  Ist  b.  A  c.  . 
C.  P.  Gibbons,  2d  b.  A  Ist  b. 
G.  A.  Benezecb,  s.  s.  &  2d  b. 
W.  H.  Knoblesdorf,  3d  b.  . 
J.  F.  Spolders,  o.  f.    . 
B.  H.  Bryan,  1.  f, 
P.  Burkbard,  r.  f.       . 
P.  A.  Patti,  r.  s.  s.     . 


T.  B.     1b.     R. 


Officers  .        . 
Apprentice-boys 


SCORE   BY   INKINGS. 

12        3 

.14      2 

.18      1 


4  6  6  7  1. 
114  7—20 
3      0      0      1—9 


Three-base  hits.  Lieutenants  Calhoun  and  Hunker;  two-base  hits.  Passed 
Assistant  Surgeon  Steele  (2),  Assistant  Engineer  Leonard,  and  Cadet-Engineer 
Beach.     Umpire,  Lieutenant  Wm.  H.  Beehler. 


44  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 


CHAPTER     IV. 

The  Arrival  of  the  "  Essex"  and  "  Marion"  at  Montevideo — Closing  the 
Breach  made  by  the  "  Mozart" — Departure  for  Rio  de  Janeiro — The  Death 
of  Henry  Jones,  Boatswain's  Mate — The  Burial  at  Sea — Obituary  Notices — 
Description  of  the  Voyage  and  Arrival  at  Rio — Rear- Admiral  and  Mrs. 
Crosby  arrive  at  Rio,  and  the  Admiral  assumes  Command  of  the  South  At- 
lantic Squadron — The  Feast  of  Corpus  Christi  at  Rio — Preparations  for  en- 
tering the  Dry-dock — The  Presentation  of  the  Admiral  and  OfiScers  to  His 
Majesty  Dom  Pedro  and  the  Empress — Lieutenant  Beehler's  Experiments 
with  the  Electric  Lights — Brilliant  Illumination  of  the  Ship  in  the  Dry- 
dock. 

The  U.  S.  S.  "  Essex"  arrived  from  Cape  Palmas,  Africa,  on 
May  16,  and  brought  us  a  mail  from  the  United  States  sent 
shortly  after  we  left,  last  December.  The  "  Essex"  was  boarded 
as  soon  as  the  health  officer  made  his  visit,  and  the  first  boat 
took  her  mail,  which  had  been  gradually  accumulating  at  Monte- 
video, and  a  supply  of  fresh  provisions  for  the  wardroom  officers, 
thoughtfully  sent  by  the  wardroom  officers  of  this  ship.  The 
"  Essex"  had  been  forty-one  days  at  sea,  and  the  officers  hailed 
the  sight  of  these  fresh  provisions  with  the  greatest  delight. 
She  was  en  route  to  the  Pacific  via  Magellan  Straits,  and  intended 
to  remain  at  Montevideo  about  four  weeks.  May  18  we  had 
some  practice  with  Very's  night  signals  with  the  "  Essex,"  which 
was  highly  satisfactory,  and  proved  these  signals  to  be  very  much 
superior  to  the  Coston  signals  formerly  in  use  in  our  service. 

The  U.  S.  S.  "  Marion"  arrived  in  port  at  9.30  p.m.  on  May 
22  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  having  been  highly  successful 
in  her  mission  to  the  rescue  of  the  shipwrecked  crew  of  the  bark 
"  Trinity."  The  "  Marion"  left  the  rescued  crew  at  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  where  they  were  sent  home  by  the  American  consul. 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  45 

The  carpenters  completed  on  May  23  the  temporary  repairs  of 
the  damages  caused  by  the  "  Mozart"  on  May  1,  and  the  work 
reflects  great  credit  on  our  carpenter,  Mr.  J.  S.  Waltemeyer,  and 
his  eflScient  gang  of  mates.  The  patch  looked  very  well,  and  at  a 
little  distance  it  was  difficult  to  discern  the  exact  whereabouts  of  the 
breach.  The  barge's  forward  davit  was  not  replaced,  however, 
and  we  were  thus  obliged  to  hoist  the  barge  and  third  cutter  on 
deck  in  the  gangways.  The  whale-boat  was  hoisted  at  the  third 
cutter's  davits  so  as  to  be  available  as  a  life-boat  at  sea. 

The  breach  itself  was  repaired  by  bolting  heavy  pieces  of  oak,  six- 
teen feet  long,  eight  inches  wide,  and  four  inches  thick,  on  both  the 
frames  on  either  side  of  the  broken  frame,  and  further  strength- 
ened by  long  straps  of  pine,  thirty  feet  long  by  eight  inches  wide 
and  three  inches  thick.  The  five  straps  ran  up  at  regular  inter- 
vals between  the  port-sill  streak  and  water-line.  The  spar-deck 
was  also  calked,  and  abutting  pieces  were  placed  in  the  third 
state-room  in  the  wardroom  to  brace  the  weakened  side  from 
inboard. 

Lieutenant  C.  B.  Gill  received  orders  on  May  17,  by  which 
he  was  detached  from  this  ship  with  permission  to  proceed  to 
his  home  at  his  own  expense,  with  the  understanding  that  his 
resignation  would  be  accepted  upon  his  arrival  there.  He  was 
very  homesick,  and  lost  no  time  in  leaving  after  receiving  his 
orders.  He  left  Montevideo  in  the  French  mail  steamer  "  Dom 
Pedro"  for  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  there  took  the  Lamport  &  Holt 
steamer  of  May  25  for  New  York,  where  he  probably  arrived 
June  15. 

The  following  men  were  transferred  to  the  **  Marion"  on  the 
23d  ult.,  they  having  been  detailed  for  the  "  Marion"  prior  to  our 
Bailing  from  New  York :  Valentine  Blanchard,  finbher ;  W.  G. 
'Caldwell  and  William  Slavin,  landsmen  ;  Thomas  Russell,  J.  Innis, 
J.  J.  Dougherty,  Dennis  Feeney,  A.  S.  Clawson,  and  Alphonse 
Veys,  marines. 

We  got  under  way  at  noon.  May  24,  and  proceeded  to  Rio.    In 

4l 


46  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

heaving  up  our  starboard  anchor,  the  chain  cable  was  strained  so 
much  in  breaking  the  anchor  out  of  the  mud  that  the  third  link 
from  the  club-link  opened  out,  and  parted  just  before  it  was  high 
enough  to  hook  the  cat.  An  effort  was  made  to  hook  the  cat 
before  the  chain  parted,  but  it  gave  way  too  soon,  and  the  anchor 
dropped  down  into  the  mud  beyond  much  hope  of  recovery.  We 
proceeded  on  our  course  to  Kio  under  steam,  with  clear  and 
pleasant  weather  and  light  head-winds. 

Henry  Jones,  boatswain's  mate,  died  of  pneumonia  at  10.45 
A.M.,  May  25,  after  an  illness  of  five  days.  All  hands  were  called 
to  "  bury  the  dead"  at  4.45  p.m.,  and  assembled  as  for  muster  on 
the  quarter-deck.  Chaplain  Royce  conducted  the  service  accord- 
ing to  the  ritual  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  The  remains  were 
carried  aft  in  procession,  headed  by  the  chaplain,  and  followed  by 
the  band,  six  of  the  messmates  of  the  deceased  acting  as  pall- 
bearers. The  remains  were  laid  out  in  a  hammock,  with  a  nine- 
inch  shot  at  the  foot,  and  were  carried  on  a  bier  to  the  starboard 
side  of  the  break  of  the  poop-deck,  where  they  were  committed 
to  the  deep  in  the  hope  of  the  final  resurrection  when  the  sea 
shall  give  up  its  dead  in  the  end  of  time.  The  marines  fired 
three  volleys  over  the  sea,  the  engines  were  started  ahead,  and  we 
went  on  our  way. 

May  30  the  wind  changed  and  came  out  from  the  southwest, 
when  we  made  sail  and  banked  fires,  but  the  next  morning  the 
wind  came  out  ahead  again,  and  we  spread  fires  and  took  in  sail. 
We  then  experienced  quite  a  heavy  sea,  and  it  was  evident  that 
we  had  escaped  a  "  pampero."  At  7.35  P.M.  the  oflScer  of  the 
deck  gave  a  false  alarm  of  "  man  overboard,"  which  completely 
sold  the  ship's  company.  The  life-boat's  crew  of  the  watch 
rushed  aft  to  lower  the  life-boat,  and  the  whole  exercise  was 
carried  out  as  if  one  of  our  number  had  really  fallen  overboard, 
and  not  a  few  excitedly  asked,  "  Who  is  it  ?"  and,  "  Why  don't 
they  hurry  up  ?"  every  second  of  time  seeming  to  be  an  age  in 


TBE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  47 

the  anxiety.  Later  on  the  same  evening  we  went  to  general  quar- 
ters, and  had  a  brush  with  an  imaginary  enemy. 

At  8.30  A.M.,  May  31,  we  sighted  Raza  Island  light-house,  and 
soon  passed  in  among  the  beautiful  islands  outlying  the  bay  of 
Rio  de  Janeiro.  At  ten  A.M.,  while  all  hands  were  on  deck 
drinking  in  the  beautiful  scenery,  and  endeavoring  to  decipher 
"  Lord  Hood's"  nose  and  toes,  said  to  be  delineated  by  the  top 
of  the  range  of  hills  tending  southward  from  the  harbor's  en- 
trance, the  revery  was  suddenly  disturbed  by  the  ominous  rattling 
roar  of  chain  running  out  from  the  starboard  bow.  The  engines 
were  stopped  immediately,  and  the  chain  soon  brought  up  by  the 
compressors.  It  was  subsequently  ascertained  that  the  starboard 
sheet-anchor  was  secured  by  a  defective  iron  link,  and  endeavored 
to  seek  the  company  of  its  lost  mate  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 
The  chain  was  then  taken  to  the  capstan  and  the  anchor  duly 
recovered. 

At  noon  we  passed  the  renowned  Sugar-Loaf,  and  at  12.30  p.m. 
we  came  to  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Rio  de  Janeiro.  The  ship 
was  then  visited  by  the  health  officers  and  given  pratique.  "We 
also  learnt  that  Rio  has  been  exceptionally  healthy  for  the  past 
year,  the  last  summer  having  been  the  most  favorable  season 
known  for  a  whole  decade.  We  then  saluted  the  Brazilian  flag 
with  twenty-one  guns,  which  were  duly  returned  by  the  fort,  and 
exchanged  the  usual  visits  of  courtesy  with  the  authorities. 

The  following  invalids  were  surveyed  by  the  medical  officers, 
and  sent  to  the  United  States  Naval  Hospital  at  New  York  on  the 
steamer  "  Biela,"  which  left  at  nine  A.M.,  Sunday,  June  4 :  Richard 
Burke,  blacksmith;  W.  H.  Ingraham,  seaman;  George  Abbott, 
apprentice-boy ;  James  Sweeney  and  Murdick  McKay,  marine 
privates. 

Michael  Craig,  captain  of  the  hold,  was  transferred  to  the  hos- 
pital on  shore  at  his  own  request,  being  too  ill  to  make  the  journey 
to  New  York.  He  died  subsequently,  Sunday  morning,  June  11, 
after  very  long  and  painful  suffering  with  Bright's  disease. 


48  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

At  sunset,  Thursday,  June  8,  the  Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Com- 
pany's steamer  "  Araucania"  arrived  in  port,  with  Rear- Admiral 
and  Mrs.  Pierce  Crosby  and  Lieutenant  Adolph  Marix  as  passen- 
gers. Captain  Weaver  called  on  the  admiral  the  same  evening, 
and  the  next  day  he  formally  assumed  command  of  the  United 
States  naval  force  on  the  South  Atlantic  Station. 

At  ten  A.M.,  Friday,  June  9,  Rear- Admiral  Pierce  Crosby  came 
on  board,  and  was  received  with  the  crew  at  quarters  on  the  port 
side  of  the  spar-deck,  and  the  officers  in  full-dress  uniform  on  the 
quarter-deck.  The  usual  ceremonies  of  introduction  then  took 
place,  the  marine  guard  presented  arms,  and  a  salute  of  thirteen 
guns  was  fired  as  the  admiral's  flag  was  hoisted  at  the  mizzen,  and 
the  long  pennant  hauled  down  from  the  main.  It  was  raining  all 
day,  and  the  customary  inspection  was  therefore  omitted. 

The  admiral  assumed  command  in  the  following  squadron  order : 

Squadron  Order )        U.  S.  F.  S.  "  Brooklyn,"  Rio  db  Janeiro,  Brazil, 

No.  1.  J  June  9,  1882. 

By  direction  of  the  Honorable  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  I  have  this  day  as- 
sumed command  of  the  United  States  naval  force  on  the  South   Atlantic 
Station. 
All  Squadron  Orders  now  in  force  will  remain  so  until  otherwise  directed. 

PIERCE   CROSBY, 
Rear-Admiral  Commanding,  U.  S.  Naval  Force, 

on  the  South  Atlantic  Station. 

On  June  14  he  announced  his  staff  in  Squadron  Order  No.  2, 
as  follows : 

Squadron  Order  1        U.  S.  F.  S.  "  Brooklyn,"  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil, 

No.  2.  1  June  U,  1882. 

The  following  ofiScers  will  compose  my  staff: 
Captain  A.  W.  Weaver,  chief  of  staff. 

General  Staff. 
Medical  Inspector  C.  H.  Burbank,  fleet  surgeon. 
Chief  Engineer  W.  W.  Dungan,  fleet  engineer. 
Paymaster  W.  Goldsborough,  fleet  paymaster. 
Captain  E.  P.  Meeker,  fleet  marine  ofiicer. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  49 

Personal  Staff. 
Lieutenant  A.  Marix,  senior  aide  and  seoretary. 
Midshipman  C.  S.  Eipley,  aide. 
Midshipman  Thomas  Snowden,  aide. 

PIERCE   CROSBY, 
Rear-Admiral  Commanding,  U.  S.  Naval  Force, 
on  the  South  Atlantic  Station. 

Sunday,  June  11,  the  officers  were  invited  to  a  grand  ball,  given 
by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Rio  to  the  distinguished  Admiral 
Baron  de  Amazone,  in  commemoration  of  the  Brazilian  naval  vic- 
tory at  Riachuelo  in  the  Paraguayan  war  on  June  11,  1865. 

Preparations  were  made  for  thoroughly  repairing  the  ship.  The 
captain  inspected  the  various  docks,  and  sealed  proposals  were  re- 
ceived from  the  principal  firms  in  Rio  for  the  work.  The  contract 
was  awarded  to  Mr.  Paul  Taves,  an  American  ship-builder,  whose 
bid  was  several  thousand  dollars  less  than  any  of  the  others. 

The  following  order  was  issued  as  a  sanitary  precaution  during 
the  stay  of  the  "  Brooklyn"  in  this  harbor : 

U.  S.  S.  "Brooklyn,"  2d  rate,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil, 
May  31,  1882. 
The  officers  and  men  of  this  ship  are  earnestly  enjoined  to  use  every  possible 
sanitary  precaution  to  prevent  infection  during  the  stay  of  the  ship  at  this 
port. 

To  this  end  all  articles  received  on  board  will  be  carefully  inspected  by  the 
officer  of  the  deck.  One  of  the  medical  officers  will  inspect  the  bumboats; 
and  unripe  fruit,  pineapples,  and  whatever  else  may  be  deemed  unfit  or  in- 
jurious, will  not  be  allowed  on  board. 

No  stores  will  be  permitted  to  be  received  in  sealed  boxes.  The  straw  pack- 
ings are  especially  prohibited.  The  market  stores  will  only  be  allowed  to  be 
received  in  baskets  belonging  to  the  ship,  not  in  bags. 

Awnings  will  be  housed  daily  at  sunset,  and  no  one  will  be  allowed  to  sleep 
on  deck  exposed  to  the  dew.  The  hot  sun  of  the  day  and  dews  at  night  must 
be  avoided  by  all. 

A.  W.  WEAVER, 
Captain  Commanding. 


50  THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

THE  FEAST  OF  CORPUS  CHRISTI. 

Wednesday,  June  8,  this  festival  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
was  celebrated  with  peculiar  ceremony  in  Rio  de  Janeiro.  The 
men-of-war  dressed  ship  in  honor  of  the  day,  in  which  we  joined  at 
the  request  of  the  Brazilian  commodore,  with  the  Brazilian  flag 
at  the  main  and  the  American  flag  at  the  other  mast-heads.  Cap- 
tain Weaver  and  a  number  of  officers  went  ashore  to  witness  the 
pageant  there.  The  streets  were  packed  with  crowds  of  people  in 
holiday  attire.  A  regiment  of  Brazilian  infantry  was  drawn  up 
in  line  on  the  plaza  in  front  of  the  imperial  cathedral,  and  it  was 
with  considerable  difficulty  that  one  could  wedge  through  the 
crowd  to  some  convenient  point  of  view.  The  emperor  went 
to  the  cathedral  about  ten  A.M.  and  participated  in  the  religious 
services.  About  noon  groups  of  monks  and  clergy  appeared  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  cathedral,  preparing  to  form  procession,  which 
was  frequently  done  at  false  alarms  of  the  emperor's  coming.  At 
two  P.M.,  however,  four  volleys  from  the  regiment  of  infantry  an- 
nounced the  appearance  of  the  emperor,  when  the  bells  commenced 
to  ring,  and  salutes  were  fired  from  the  forts  and  shipping. 

This  remarkable  procession  consisted  of  several  church  societies 
bearing  banners,  silvered  staves  with  flowers  and  crosses  and 
candles  in  advance,  then  came  a  body  of  monks,  about  sixteen  in 
all,  bareheaded,  and  each  bearing  a  candle,  some  of  which  were 
lighted,  but  it  was  very  difficult  to  keep  them  burning  in  the 
open  air. 

The  monks  were  followed  by  a  dozen  or  more  priests  in  sacra- 
mental robes,  and  these  by  bishops  and  higher  dignitaries  of  the 
church  in  their  official  dress.  Then  came  the  canopy  and  the  host 
carried  by  the  archbishop,  elevated  as  at  the  celebration  of  mass 
in  church.  This  canopy  was  held  over  the  host  by  the  emperor, 
his  son-in-law,  Comte  d'Eu,  and  the  four  ministers  of  state,  war, 
marine,  and  agriculture.  This  canopy  was  woven  of  gold  and 
white  silk,  and  supported  on  six  ecclesiastically  carved  staves  ten 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  51 

feet  long,  each  one  of  the  above  distinguished  men  carrying  a 
Btave. 

The  municipal  officers  followed  the  imperial  party  with  the  host, 
and  then  came  the  regimental  band,  and  an  immense  corps  of 
buglers  immediately  heading  the  regiment  of  infantry.  The  em- 
peror, priests,  and  soldiers  were  all  bareheaded,  and  walked  through 
the  streets  at  snail's  pace,  while  the  crowd  surged  in  on  all  sides, 
and  frequently  blocked  the  procession,  not  the  slightest  effort  being 
made  to  keep  the  streets  clear. 

The  emperor  looked  very  well,  and  bore  up  under  this  ordeal 
very  bravely.  It  took  them  about  three  hours  to  pass  through 
about  two  miles  of  the  principal  streets  in  Rio.  The  imperial 
crown  did  not  seem  so  attractive  under  these  circumstances.  The 
people  in  the  streets  were  very  respectful,  and  everybody  un- 
covered as  the  procession  moved  by. 

This  regiment  of  infantry  is  composed  almost  entirely  of 
Brazilian  Indians  from  the  interior;  but  they  did  not  evince  a 
yery  high  state  of  discipline  in  their  march  by  half-company  front. 
The  "  Brooklyn's"  battalion  would  certainly  appear  to  very  much 
better  advantage,  even  with  their  rare  opportunities  for  marching. 

One  of  the  principal  features  of  the  procession  seemed  to  be  in 
the  noise.  The  band  would  frequently  be  obliged  to  stop  for  wind, 
but  the  extraordinary  corps  of  buglers  were  equal  to  the  emergency, 
and  kept  up  the  racket  incessantly,  relieving  each  other  from  time 
to  time. 

OBITUARY. 

HENRT  JONKS. 

Henry  Jones,  boatswain's  mate,  died  on  board  this  ship,  of 
pneumonia,  after  an  illness  of  five  days,  as  stated  elsewhere.  He 
was  born  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  September,  1823,  and  served  in  the 
navy  for  about  eighteen  years.  Jones  enlisted  in  the  Fifty-second 
Regiment,  New  York  State  Volunteers,  August  2i,  1863,  as  a 
private,  and  was  transferred  to  the  navy  April  28,  1864,  from  the 
camp  near  Strasburg,  Virginia.      He  was  discharged  from  the 


52  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

U.  S.  S.  "  Chickopee,"  Commander  W.  F.  Spicer,  as  quarter- 
gunner,  April  26,  1866,  after  which  he  served  three  years  more 
in  the  navy,  and  was  discharged  from  the  U.  S.  S.  "  Pensacola," 
Captain  Gr.  H.  Preble,  September  30,  1869.  He  continued  his 
naval  career,  and  served  out  another  enlistment,  for  which  he 
received  an  honorable  discharge  December  19,  1872,  as  quarter- 
master from  Captain  Bancroft  Gherrardi,  U.  S.  R.  S.  "Independ- 
ence," Mare  Island,  California.  He  received  another  discharge 
July  14,  1875,  as  quartermaster  of  the  "Independence."  His 
next  cruise  was  in  the  "  Tennessee"  in  China  from  1875  to  1878, 
during  which  he  received  a  continuous-service  certificate  and  a 
good-conduct  badge.  From  1878  to  1881  he  served  in  the  U.  S. 
R.  S.  "  Colorado,"  "  New  Hampshire,"  and  "  Standish,"  during 
which  he  received  a  second  good-conduct  badge.  He  enlisted  for 
the  last  time  September  22, 1881,  at  New  York,  and  served  until 
his  death.  He  leaves  no  relations,  but  his  monument  of  honor- 
able-discharge certificates  and  good-conduct  badges  have  been  for- 
warded to  the  Navy  Department,  where  they  will  be  preserved 
with  the  memorials  of  the  rest  of  our  country's  faithful  servants. 

MICHAEL  CKAIG. 

Michael  Craig,  captain  of  the  hold,  died  in  the  hospital  at 
this  port  June  11.  While  Craig's  service  in  the  navy  does  not 
cover  so  many  years  of  continuous  service  as  Jones's,  yet  his  first 
entry  dates  back  to  an  earlier  period, — the  Mexican  war,  when 
the  brilliant  exploits  of  the  American  navy  were  still  fresh  in  the 
minds  of  the  people  from  the  war  of  1812.  He  served  on  the 
U.  S.  S.  "  Congress"  from  1845  to  1849,  and  the  engagements 
that  ship  took  part  in  during  that  period  entitled  Craig  to  be  a 
member  of  the  New  York  Associated  Mexican  War  Veterans,  a 
silver  medal  of  which  association  he  had  in  his  possession  at  his 
death,  the  reverse  side  of  which  contains  the  name  of  deceased, 
ship,  and  years  he  served.  The  face  of  this  medal  has  inscribed 
upon  it  the  distinguished  names  of  Scott,  Perry,  and  Taylor,  and 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  53 

the  battles  of  that  war.  The  deceased  leaves  nothing  behind  to 
show  that  he  served  in  the  navy  again  until  1877.  September 
17  of  that  year  he  was  honorably  discharged  from  the  "  Rich- 
mond," Captain  John  J.  Reed,  as  captain  of  the  hold.  He  was  in 
the  service  again  as  seaman  on  the  "  Saratoga,"  Commander  R.  D. 
Evans,  and  honorably  discharged  November  13,  1880.  He  was 
born  in  Donegal,  Ireland,  February  2,  1824,  and  consequently  at 
the  time  of  his  death  was  in  his  fifty-ninth  year.  His  last  enlist- 
ment was  December  20, 1880,  on  the  "  Colorado,"  at  New  York, 
and  was  serving  out  the  remainder  of  his  time  on  this  ship.  The 
deceased  made  Brooklyn  his  home.  The  only  relatives  Craig  had 
known  to  be  living  are  a  sister  and  two  nieces  in  Ireland.  The 
remains  were  interred  in  San  Juan  de  Baptiste  Cemetery,  Rio  de 
Janeiro. 

On  the  22d  the  "  Brooklyn"  was  towed  up  to  the  inner  harbor 
oflF  Finney,  Kemp  &  Co.'s  dry-dock,  for  convenience  in  making 
the  repairs  preliminary  to  docking.  The  ammunition  was  removed 
to  the  Brazilian  arsenal  just  before  our  departure,  and  since  then 
the  ship  has  been  defenceless,  and  will  remain  so  for  some  weeks 
to  come.  Before  this,  however,  we  had  the  pleasure  of  a  visit 
from  our  Minister  Plenipotentiary,  Ex-Governor  Thomas  A.  Os- 
borne, of  Kansas,  a  typical  American  and  one  whom  we  all  felt 
glad  to  honor ;  when  he  left  us  we  gave  him  a  salute  of  seventeen 
guns. 

The  workmen  in  charge  of  the  contractor,  Mr.  Paul  Taves,  com- 
menced work  on  the  ship's  side  on  Friday,  June  23.  They  tore 
down  the  bulkheads  in  the  starboard  steerage  and  the  first  six 
rooms  on  the  starboard  side  of  the  wardroom.  All  the  line  offi- 
cers, excepting  Lieutenants  Calhoun  and  Hunker,  were  thus  de- 
prived of  quarters.  Three  of  our  energetic  lieutenants  then 
occupied  the  admiral's  cabin  in  lieu  of  other  tenant,  the  admiral 
having  kindly  offered  it  to  them  as  a  dormitory.  The  transoms 
in  the  cabin  are  all  about  the  same  size,  and  owing  to  the  great 
range  in  the  length  of  the  lieutenants  it  was  a  difficult  matter  to 


54  THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

appropriate  the  space  to  suit,  but  they  always  had  a  "  bandy 
sebrees,"  which  was  some  comfort. 

A  great  many  of  the  discomforts  were  removed,  however,  by  the 
kind  consideration  and  gentlemanly  courtesy  of  the  more  fortunate 
members  of  the  mess,  who  then  took  in  their  homeless  shipmates 
and  allowed  them  the  use  of  their  state-rooms.  This  evinced  such 
a  happy  state  of  affairs  that  all  treated  the  inconveniences  to  which 
they  had  been  subjected  as  a  huge  joke,  and  made  the  best  of  it 
in  the  most  philosophical  manner. 

The  workmen  surprised  us  very  much  by  their  peculiar  hours. 
They  commence  work  at  seven  and  stop  from  nine  to  9.30  for 
breakfast,  after  which  they  work  steadily  until  four,  when  they  go 
home  to  dinner.  This  gives  eight  and  a  half  hours  for  a  day's 
labor,  and  for  a  tropical  clime  the  arrangement  is  much  better 
than  our  system  of  mid-day  dinners.  They  deserve  a  great  deal 
of  credit  for  their  excellent  work,  which  is  far  superior  to  what  we 
had  imagined  it  would  be.  The  din  of  hammers  was  a  great  an- 
noyance, and  all  wished  for  the  time  when  we  should  be  in  proper 
shape  once  more ;  but  this  seemed  to  be  very  remote  owing  to  the 
frequent  number  of  holidays  and  feast-days,  during  which  they 
won't  work,  although  they  would  not  object  to  working  on  Sun- 
days if  we  did  not. 

The  officers  were  invited  to  the  athletic  sports  of  the  English 
Regatta  Club  on  June  30.  These  sports  consisted  of  running  and 
walking  races  something  on  the  style  of  the  Olympian  games. 
Their  majesties  the  emperor  and  empress  were  present,  and  the 
races  were  very  good.  Cadet-Engineer  W.  S.  Smith  took  part  in 
one  of  the  running  races,  but  as  he  had  had  no  opportunity  to 
train  he  failed  to  get  a  prize. 

Monday,  July  3,  Admiral  Crosby^  Dr.  Burbank,  Chief  Engineer 
Dungan,  Paymaster  Goldsborough,  Lieutenant-Commander  An- 
thony, and  Lieutenant  Marix  went  on  a  leave  of  absence  to  visit 
Petropolis.  This  a  town  of  six  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is 
chiefly  a  German  settlement,  and  is  noted  for  being  the  summer 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  55 

residence  of  the  imperial  family.  It  is  about  sixty  miles  from 
Bio  and  has  a  comparatively  cool  climate,  being  three  thousand 
feet  above  the  sea.  Four  large  mountain  streams  run  into  the 
town  through  beautiful  canals  in  every  street.  Nearly  all  the  for- 
eign ministers  and  diplomats  make  it  their  home.  Our  officers 
were  entertained  by  our  minister,  Paymaster  Wight  (who  has 
charge  of  the  United  States  naval  depot  at  Kio),  the  English 
representative,  and  Mr.  Morton,  the  agent  of  the  Lamport  &  Holt 
Steamship  Company.  There  are  a  number  of  very  handsome 
estates,  beautitully  laid  out  with  all  that  wealth  and  tropical  lux- 
uriance can  do.  Such  a  place  baffles  description,  and  from  all 
accounts  must  be  a  perfect  fairy-land.  Our  party  returned  the 
latter  part  of  the  same  week,  and  brought  the  most  glowing  ac- 
counts of  their  visit  and  of  their  hospitable  reception  by  the  peo- 
ple at  Petropolis.  Their  enthusiastic  description  of  the  beautiful 
scenery,  coupled  with  their  praises  of  their  hosts,  make  quite  a 
refreshing  feature  in  the  cruise. 

On  the  Fourth  of  July  we  dressed  ship  with  the  American  flag 
at  each  mast-head  and  the  jack,  while  the  Brazilian  men-of-war,  H. 
B.  M.  S.  "  Swiftsure,"  and  nearly  all  the  merchant  vessels  in  the 
harbor  followed  our  example.  At  noon  the  Brazilian  fort  at  Bota 
Fogo  and  the  "  Swiftsure"  fired  a  salute  of  twenty-one  guns,  which 
we  were  unable  to  return  because  we  had  no  powder.  This  act 
was  a  very  graceful  one  on  the  part  of  the  English  ironclad,  since 
her  commanding  officer  had  been  informed  that  we  could  not  re- 
turn any  salutes.  Visits  of  courtesy  were  also  exchanged  between 
the  officers  of  this  ship  and  the  "  Swiftsure." 

On  Saturday,  July  8,  the  following  officers  went  with  Rear- 
Admiral  Crosby  to  be  presented  to  the  emperor  at  the  imperial 
palace  of  Sao  Christavoa;  Captain  A.  W.  Weaver,  Medical  In- 
spector C.  H.  Burbank,  Chief  Engineer  W.  W.  Dungan,  Paymas- 
ter W.  Goldsborough,  Passed  Assistant  Surgeon  H.  M.  Martin, 
Lieutenants  U.  Sebree,  A.  Marix,  W.  H.  Beehler,  G.  A.  Cal- 
houn, and  J.  J.  Hunker,  and  Midshipmen  Ripley  and  Snowdcn. 


56  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

The  party  left  the  ship  in  full-dress  uniform,  with  four  marines  in 
full-dress  with  the  new  white  helmet.  At  the  landing  they  took 
carriages  to  the  United  States  Legation,  where  they  met  His  Ex- 
cellency the  United  States  Minister  Plenipotentiary  and  Envoy 
Extraordinary,  Ex-Governor  Thomas  A.  Osborne,  with  his  secre- 
tary, H.  J.  White.  They  had  to  wait  at  the  legation  for  some 
time,  the  hour  for  the  reception  having  been  changed  to  seven  p.m. 
It  was  one  hour's  drive  to  the  palace  from  the  legation,  and  this 
gave  the  party  an  opportunity  to  judge  of  the  size  of  Rio,  as  the 
route  was  from  one  end  of  the  city  to  the  other.  The  marines 
rode  with  the  liveried  drivers,  and  attracted  a  great  deal  of  notice 
as  the  four  carriages  rapidly  passed  through  the  streets.  The 
palace  is  a  large  white  rectangular  building  with  a  central  dome, 
and  fronts  the  bay  west  of  the  city.  The  grounds  in  front  did 
not  appear  to  be  kept  as  a  park,  though  the  road  led  through  the 
two  gates  about  five  hundred  feet  apart.  Several  officers  of  the 
palace  met  the  party  at  the  entrance  and  ushered  them  into  the 
diplomatic  reception-room.  This  room  is  handsomely  upholstered 
with  red  brocaded  silk  tapestry.  A  large  life-size  painting  covers 
one  wall,  representing  the  present  emperor  when  a  young  man  in 
full  court  dress,  which  he  wears  on  state  occasions.  The  mantel 
ornaments  were  of  beaten  brass,  massive  and  very  handsome. 
The  mirror  candelabra  and  chandelier  in  the  centre  were  in  har- 
mony with  these  ornaments,  the  room  being  illuminated  by  candles 
instead  of  gas.  The  chairs  and  sofas  were  elaborately  carved  and 
ornamented  with  the  imperial  coat  of  arms,  the  only  exceptional 
article  being  a  small  Japanese  table  in  the  centre.  The  room  ad- 
joins the  throne-room,  and  is  where  the  foreign  ministers  usually 
wait  before  presenting  their  credentials  to  the  emperor  on  his 
throne. 

The  officers  ranged  themselves  in  line  and  waited  for  the  em- 
peror, who  came  in  at  7.15  p.m.  dressed  in  the  uniform  of  a  mar- 
shal of  the  empire.  The  first  lord  chamberlain  and  two  other 
court 'officers  accompanied  his  majesty,  but  stood  in  the  door-way 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  67 

■• 
during  the  reception.  The  emperor  shook  hands  very  cordially 
with  Governor  Osborne,  and  was  then  introduced  to  the  admiral 
and  the  rest  of  the  officers  as  his  staflF.  The  emperor  expressed 
himself  as  delighted  to  see  them,  and  regretted  that  he  did  not 
have  the  pleasure  of  holding  the  reception  on  the  Fourth  of  July. 
He  inquired  about  the  ship,  the  health  of  the  officers  and  crew, 
and  incidentally  mentioned  the  fact  that  he  had  once  been  enter- 
tained on  board  the  "  Brooklyn"  when  Admiral  Godon  had  com- 
mand. He  referred  to  his  visit  to  the  United  States  and  praised 
the  United  States  Naval  Academy.  He  also  inquired  for  Com- 
modore Simpson,  and  spoke  eulogistically  of  Rear-Admiral  John 
Rodgers,  of  whose  death  he  had  just  heard.  He  held  quite  a 
long  conversation  with  the  admiral  and  Captain  Weaver,  while 
the  rest  of  the  officers  simply  stood  by  and  looked  on.  The  em- 
peror then  turned  to  Governor  Osborne,  and  shortly  afterwards 
bowed  and  left  the  room. 

The  first  lord  chamberlain  then  conducted  them  to  the  other 
wing  of  the  palace,  where  they  were  presented  to  the  empress, 
who  stood  in  the  centre  of  her  reception-room  and  received  by  a 
general  introduction.  The  first  lady-in-waiting  stood  to  the  left 
and  rear  of  her  majesty  during  the  reception.  Her  majesty  spoke 
in  French  and  asked  a  few  general  questions  about  the  ship  and 
the  cruise.  The  officers  then  bowed  and  backed  out  of  the  room, 
returned  to  their  carriages,  and  then  rode  back  to  the  landing. 
The  emperor  afterwards  said  he  was  much  pleased  with  this  recep- 
tion, and  highly  commended  the  fine  appearance  of  the  officers, 
and  was  especially  glad  to  have  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  so 
many  of  them. 

Tuesday  morning,  July  11,  preparations  were  made  to  dock  the 
ship,  but  a  thick  fog  set  in  and  delayed  this  until  noon.  A  tug 
towed  the  ship  to  the  dock,  and  lines  were  then  run  out  by  which 
she  was  hauled  in  and  centred  on  the  blocks.  The  caisson  was 
then  placed  in  position  and  the  ship  docked  in  the  usual  manner, 
and  finally  secured  at  3.15  p.m. 


58  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Lieutenant  Beehler  then  commenced  to  rig  the  ship  -with  the 
Weston  system  of  electric  lights.  This  consisted  of  ten  lamps, 
one  being  suspended  from  the  ends  of  each  of  the  lower  yard- 
arms,  one  at  the  end  of  the  flying-jib-boom,  one  under  the  poop, 
one  in  the  machine-shop  by  the  generator,  and  one  in  the  alley 
leading  to  the  dock.  It  was  dark,  however,  before  the  circuit 
could  be  tested,  and,  after  one  or  two  trials,  the  exhibition  was 
postponed. 

The  next  evening,  however,  the  efi"ect  of  the  light  was  exceed- 
ingly beautiful.  Each  lamp  gave  a  light  of  two  thousand  candle- 
power,  and  made  a  brilliant  illumination  in  the  dock-yard  and 
vicinity.  About  8.30  p.m.,  while  hoisting  the  lamp  on  the  star- 
board cross-jack  yard,  the  lamp-frame  got  loose  and  made  contact 
with  the  fine  wire  in  the  feeding  mechanism,  which  fused  it  and 
burnt  a  hole  in  the  casing.  The  machine  was  stopped  at  once 
and  the  circuit  examined,  but  the  fault  was  not  discovered  until 
the  next  day.  The  machine  was  started  again,  however,  but  the 
break  disabled  the  machine,  and  further  efforts  had  to  be  post- 
poned until  the  next  day.  The  admiral  and  Mrs.  Crosby  were 
present,  and  a  great  crowd  of  people  thronged  into  the  dock-yard. 
These  people  were  very  noisy,  and  their  presence  interfered  so 
seriously  with  the  discipline  of  the  ship  that  the  admiral  directed 
the  exhibition  to  be  discontinued.  The  damages  were  repaired 
the  next  day,  and  at  four  A.M.  the  lights  were  started  again  and 
worked  well.  Midshipman  Gaboon  and  the  armorer,  Charles 
Kelsey,  rendered  very  valuable  assistance  with  the  electric  light. 

While  in  the  dock  the  copper  on  the  ship's  bottom  was  found 
in  a  dreadful  condition,  being  worn  through  in  one  hundred  and 
forty-three  sheets,  while  a  few  worms  were  also  found  in  the 
planking.  The  copper  was  patched  up  ;  but  it  was  probable  that 
the  ship  would  have  to  be  docked  again  in  a  year  or  so,  unless  she 
should  be  ordered  home. 

The  ship  came  out  of  the  dock  at  noon  July  15,  and  was  towed 
to  the  former  anchorage. 


THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  59 

The  health  of  the  officers  and  crew  has  been  exceptionally  good, 
the  sick  list  out  of  the  whole  ship's  company  of  three  hundred 
and  fifty  people  only  averaging  five  during  July,  1882. 


CHAPTER  V. 


First  Organization  of  the  "Brooklyn"  Minstrels  on  the  Fourth  of  July — The 
French  F<:te  of  the  Storming  of  the  Bastile — Gallant  Conduct  of  Robert 
Allen  and  Edward  Kenny  in  Rescuing  their  Shipmates — The  United  States 
Naval  Depot  at  Rio  de  Janeiro — The  Hospitality  of  the  People  at  Rio — The 
Grand  Minstrel  Entertainment — Programme  of  the  Performance — Full 
Description  of  the  Entertainment. 

The  Fourth  of  July  was  a  disagreeable,  rainy  day,  and  it 
seemed  as  if  there  were  not  the  slightest  chance  for  any  patriotic 
excitement  to  celebrate  it.  Visions  of  mass-meetings  at  a  country 
picnic,  the  militia  parade,  stump-speeches,  and  extraordinary  flow 
of  beer  aggravated  our  condition,  and  finally  roused  "  all  hands" 
to  a  final  effort,  which  resulted  in  the  permanent  organization  of 
the  "  Brooklyn"  Minstrels. 

The  apprentices  started  the  ball  by  asking  for  boats  for  races, 
but  the  weather  preventing  made  it  necessary  to  try  something 
more  feasible.  Lieutenant  Beehler  canvassed  around  among  the 
boys  to  induce  them  to  start  a  circus,  a  show,  or  something,  but 
the  boys  all  fought  shy,  and  finally  backed  out  altogether.  He 
then  appealed  to  the  men,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Cadet- 
Engineer  Beach  organized  an  impromptu  entertainment,  which 
proved  to  be  a  great  success.  The  following  is  the  programme, 
neatly  printed  copies  of  which  were  distributed  around  among  the 
ship's  company  just  before  the  performance : 


60  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

OvEETURE By  the  Orchestra 

Song,  "  Little  Sister's  Gone  to  Sleep"  .        .     John  Looby  and  Company 

Jig,  "  Footprints  in  the  Sand" J.  MoCann 

Character  Song,  "  The  Don  of  the  Club"        ....  Robert  Allen 

Sketch,  OBEYING  ORDERS. 

General  Ramrod .  J.  Murphy 

Private  Mulcahy R.  Allen 

Sarah  Bernheart J.  Looby 

Clog  Dance J.  McCann 

Song,  "  The  Boy  from  Munster" ,       .       J.  Kenny 

Sketch,  THE   COAL-HEAVERS'  REVENGE. 

Doctor William  Jarrard 

Pat  Moriarity,  Coal-Heaver John  McCabe 

Mike  McGinniss,  Second  Coal-Heaver J.  Looby 

Song,  "  Hungry  Army" J.  Looby,  R.  Allen 

A  stage  was  laid  out  on  the  berth-deck,  just  forward  of  the 
foremast  and  abaft  the  steam  capstan.  Candles  with  reflectors 
were  arranged  along  the  deck  and  served  very  well  for  foot- 
lights, while  a  nicely-painted  scene  was  hung  up  as  a  background 
for  the  performance.  The  entire  ship's  company  with  all  the  oflS- 
cers  on  board  gathered  on  the  berth-deck,  the  men  sitting  on  cap- 
stan-bars and  deck-buckets,  while  the  officers  had  their  chairs  and 
camp-stools  in  the  rear. 

Promptly  at  eight  p.m.  the  band  struck  up  the  march  from 
"  Boccaccio,"  and  the  hush  of  expectation  went  round  through  the 
audience.  John  Looby  then  came  out  and  sang  "  Little  Sister's 
Gone  to  Sleep,"  the  chorus  being  behind  the  scenes,  which  made 
the  piece  very  effective. 

McCann's  dancing  was  very  fine.  His  graceful  tread  realized 
in  a  striking  sense  the  beauty  of  a  true  Irish  jig  and  brought  out 
the  heartiest  encores.     McCann  deserves  the  greatest  credit  not 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  Ql 

only  for  the  real  merit  of  his  performance,  but  for  his  hearty  co- 
operation in  getting  up  the  entertainment,  while  others  were 
rather  indifferent. 

Robert  Allen  in  his  character  song  of  "  The  Don  of  the  Club" 
elicited  loud  applause  and  was  obliged  to  repeat  his  song.  Allen 
has  a  fair  voice,  but  excels  in  his  acting.  He  wore  a  long  ulster 
and  dandy  cap,  and  made  a  very  presentable  swell. 

The  sketch  "  Obeying  Orders"  was  very  fairly  presented,  and 
had  there  been  time  the  piece  could  have  been  polished  up  some- 
what, and  what  was  simply  pleasing  would  have  been  exceedingly 
good.  The  same  criticism  applies  to  the  other  sketch,  "The 
Coal-Heavers'  Revenge."  The  Doctor,  William  Jarrard,  sustained 
bis  part  admirably,  and  McCabe  interpreted  the  Irish  coal-heaver 
to  perfection.  The  chief  thing  lacking  being  appropriate  dresses 
and  stage  appointments,  which  could  not  be  otherwise  for  a  first 
performance  gotten  up  at  three  hours'  notice. 

J.  Kenny  did  not  appear  on  time  for  his  song ;  he  was  on  post 
as  a  sentry  and,  unfortunately,  had  a  tardy  relief.  A.  B.  Morton 
came  to  the  rescue,  and  gave  a  capital  substitute  in  a  character 
song,  "I'm  so  Awfully  Clevah."  The  song  was  very  good,  a 
great  deal  being  improvised  for  the  occasion.  A  mere  copy  of 
the  words  would  fail  to  convey  any  idea  of  the  character.  He 
was  vociferously  encored,  and  amused  the  audience  immensely  at 
his  cool  self-possession  and  perfect  ease  with  which  he  enacted  the 
part  of  the  heavy  swell. 

Looby  and  Allen  sang  the  song  of  the  "  Hungry  Army"  fairly, 
but  it  lacked  rehearsal,  though  it  pleased  the  audience.  It  would 
be  difficult  to  imagine  a  better-satisfied  audience  than  this  which 
cheered  the  performers.  They  seemed  spell  bound,  and  when  the 
programme  was  exhausted,  about  9.15  p.m.,  they  sat  like  the  boy 
in  "  Oliver  Twist"  and  wanted  more.  The  band  then  struck  up 
"  Home,  Sweet  Home,"  and  broke  the  spell  by  reminding  all  hands 
that  it  was  late  and  high  time  to  "  pipe  down  hammocks."  Great 
credit  is  due  to  the  efficient  service  of  the  sheriff, — John  Taylor, 

6 


62  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

— who  with  his  deputies  preserved  perfect  order  and  added  a  great 
deal  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  evening. 

LA    FETE    NATIONAL. 

The  14th  of  July  is  the  national  fSte  day  of  the  French  re- 
public, and  commemorates  the  taking  of  the  Bastille.  The 
French  residents  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  numbering  about  three  thou- 
sand, gave  the  second  celebration  of  "  La  Fete  National"  at  the 
saloon  and  garden  of  the  Guarda  Belha  on  the  evening  of  the  14th 
instant.  The  entrance  was  beautifully  illuminated,  the  whole  face 
of  the  building  being  covered  with  gas-jets ;  over  the  entrance  was 
erected  an  illuminated  arch  bearing  the  inscription  in  brilliant 
gas-jets  "  Republique  Fran§aise,  1789-14  Juillet,  1882."  The 
garden  presented  a  fantastic  appearance,  the  trees,  shrubbery, 
walks,  etc.,  being  decorated  with  thousands  of  various-colored 
lights,  Chinese  lanterns,  etc.  The  saloon  was  artistically  deco- 
rated with  the  French  colors,  and  over  the  end  of  the  stage  was 
placed  a  large  bust  of  the  Republic  draped  with  the  tricolor. 
Between  three  and  four  thousand  persons  attended.  The  captain 
and  officers  of  this  vessel  were  invited,  and  every  preparation  was 
made  to  insure  them  having  an  enjoyable  evening.  Lieutenants 
Marix,  Calhoun,  and  Hunker,  Chaplain  Royce,  Assistant  En- 
gineer Leonard,  Cadet-Engineers  Smith  and  Beach,  and  Midship- 
man Ripley  attended  in  uniform,  and  were  most  hospitably  enter- 
tained by  the  officers  and  committees  of  the  fete.  The  fete 
opened  with  a  concert  in  the  saloon,  which  lasted  from  8.30  to  11. 
The  "  Marseillaise,"  sang  by  Mme.  Rose  Meryss,  two  songs  by  Mme. 
Alina  Alhaiza,  two  poetical  recitations  by  M.  M.  P.  Alhaiza,  and 
a  selection  called  "  Le  Chant  du  Depart"  by  an  orchestra  composed 
of  young  boys,  were  parts  of  the  programme  most  enthusiastically 
applauded.  After  the  concert  about  a  thousand  persons  assembled 
in  a.  large  saloon,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  a  platform  for  the 
distinguished  guests,  among  whom  were  the  French  minister  and 
consul-general,  members  of  the  diplomatic  corps,  officers  of  this 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  63 

vessel,  etc.  Tables  ran  the  whole  length  of  the  room,  which 
were  bountifully  supplied  with  champagne,  etc. ;  toasts  were 
then  proposed  and  responded  to  until  midnight,  the  French  minis- 
ter responding  to  "  The  President  of  the  Republic"  and  "  His 
Majesty  the  Emperor,"  the  consul  to  "  France,"  and  Lieutenant 
Calhoun  to  "  Our  Sister  Republic,  the  United  States  of  North 
America."  The  ball  was  opened  shortly  after  midnight  and  was 
prolonged  until  daybreak.  With  excellent  music,  many  handsome 
women  and  beautiful  toilets,  etc.,  all  who  attended  can  con- 
gratulate the  Soci^t^  FrauQaise  upon  having  had  a  most  successful 
celebration  of  "  La  Fete  National." 

A  subscription  paper  for  the  "  Brooklyn"  Minstrels  was  handed 
around,  and  a  committee,  consisting  of  Lieutenant  Beehler,  Second 
Lieutenant  Jackson,  and  Cadet-Engineer  Beach,  was  authorized  to 
expend  the  amount  subscribed  for  stage  properties,  etc. 

GALLANT    CONDUCT. 

On  the  morning  of  the  2d  of  June  Ossian  Carlson,  seaman,  in  an 
effort  to  get  from  the  poop  into  the  gig  fell  overboard.  A  life-buoy 
was  let  go,  a  life-preserver  thrown  overboard,  and  a  boat  called 
away,  but  all  were  of  no  service  owing  to  the  aid  rendered  by 
Robert  Allen,  seaman,  who  jumped  overboard  and  assisted  Carlson 
in  getting  hold  of  a  rope's  end  thrown  over  the  side  and  then  to 
the  Jacob's  ladder  over  the  stem.  The  fact  that  Carlson  was  hurt 
in  the  fall,  was  very  much  frightened  and  scarcely  able  to  swim, 
made  the  assistance  rendered  very  timely,  and  Allen's  gallantry 
deserves  special  recognition. 

We  take  special  pleasure  in  recording  a  similar  act  of  gallantry 
by  Edwin  Kenney,  first-class  fireman,  on  July  12.  It  appears 
that  Guenaro  Persico,  first-class  musician,  while  walking  out  on 
the  dock  at  8.30  p.m.  stepped  overboard,  and  would  have  been 
drowned  but  for  the  timely  rescue  by  Edwin  Kenney.  The  night 
was  dark,  and  the  smooth  granite  sea-wall  was  such  that  Persico 
had  but  little  chance  of  being  saved,  but  Kenney  jumped  over- 


64  THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

board  and  held  him  up  until  a  boat  came  to  their  assistance.  Per- 
Bico  cannot  swim,  and  he  owes  his  life  to  the  gallant  conduct  of 
his  brave  shipmate. 

CHANGES     IN    THE     SQUADRON. 

Captain  L.  E,  Fagan,  U.S.M.C,  arrived  here  on  the  28th  of 
June  in  the  new  steamer  "  Queen  of  the  Pacific,"  of  the  Oregon 
Steamship  Company,  which  was  lately  built  at  Philadelphia  and 
stopped  here  on  her  way  to  the  Pacific.  Captain  Fagan  relieved 
Captain  E.  P.  Meeker  from  the  command  of  the  marine  guard  and 
as  fleet  marine  ofiicer  South  Atlantic  Station.  Captain  Meeker 
was  then  detached,  and  sailed  July  5  in  the  Lamport  &  Holt 
steamer  "  Archimedes"  for  New  York.  The  wardroom  officers 
gave  Captain  Meeker  a  farewell  dinner  before  he  left,  and  many 
regrets  were  expressed  at  his  departure. 

Five  weeks  after  the  ship  was  towed  out  of  the  dry-dock  to  the 
anchorage  in  the  inner  harbor,  the  work  of  repairing  the  ship 
progressed  rapidly,  and  was  completed  considerably  within  the 
time  allowed  by  the  contract  with  Mr.  Taves.  The  incessant 
pounding  of  the  calkers  for  about  two  weeks  made  life  a  burden 
from  seven  A.M.  until  four  p.m.,  and  the  final  departure  of  this 
gang  was  a  great  relief.  Calkers  are  not  welcome,  and  we  can 
only  add  oa-kum  no  more. 

The  routine  drills  were  resumed  to  a  certain  extent  after  leaving 
the  dock,  and  the  ship's  company  settled  down  to  their  regular  duties. 

Tuesday,  August  1,  boards  of  officers  visited  the  United  States 
naval  storehouse  to  survey  articles  in  the  various  departments. 
This  storehouse  was  simply  a  place  to  destroy  government  prop- 
erty. A  great  many  stores  were  found  worthless,  and  what  would 
pass  inspection  would  not  be  received  on  board  for  fear  that  they 
might  contain  germs  of  yellow  fever.  A  number  of  requisitions 
for  stores  were  approved  and  furnished  from  the  storehouse,  but 
the  doctor  got  hold  of  them,  and  upon  his  recommendation  these  ' 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  65 

stores  were  returned.  The  prospect  of  unlimited  supply  of  old 
canvas,  so  handy  for  swabs,  tarpaulins,  and  a  thousand  things  on 
board  ship,  was  very  pleasing,  but  Yellow  Jack  is  a  bad  shipmate, 
and  no  precaution  was  neglected  to  keep  him  out. 

The  storehouse  is  a  very  fine,  suitable  building,  and  was  built 
by  Mr.  Lage  for  the  Navy  Department,  whose  agent  leased  it  from 
him  about  a  year  ago  for  the  term  of  five  years.  This  lease  was 
about  the  only  reason  advanced  for  the  continuance  of  the  naval 
depot  at  this  place.  The  officers  who  made  the  surveys  found  the 
stores  going  to  ruin  very  rapidly  owing  to  age  and  climatic  influ- 
ences, and  recommended  to  sell  the  whole  business  and  sublet  the 
storehouse  to  some  party  who  might  use  it  to  advantage. 

The  search  for  some  old  powder  was  one  of  the  strangest  fea- 
tures of  this  survey.  No  one  knew  where  it  was  and  how  long  it 
had  been  here.  The  party  made  four  trips  after  it,  and  finally 
found  it  by  taking  a  Brazilian  ordnance  employ^  for  a  pilot,  who 
conducted  the  board  to  a  magazine  clear  up  to  the  head  of  the 
bay,  where  it  had  been  carefully  stored,  free  of  cost,  by  the  Bra- 
zilian government  since  1874.  This  powder  was  sent  to  the  sta- 
tion in  1872,  when  Rear-Admiral  W.  R.  Taylor  had  command, 
and  was  first  stored  in  the  magazine  at  Santa  Cruz.  Some  of  the 
buildings  there  were  struck  by  lightning  during  a  thunder-storm, 
which  occasioned  its  subsequent  removal  to  the  storehouse  on  the 
Isla  do  Gobernado. 

Thursday,  August  10,  we  got  under  way,  and  were  towed  to 
the  man-of-war  anchorage  in  the  outer  harbor.  A  requisition  for 
coal  had  been  approved,  and  some  was  received  on  board  from  the 
naval  depot.  The  chief  engineer,  however,  objected  to  it  as  being 
inferior,  and  finally  the  doctor  stepped  in  and  called  it  dangerous. 
This  put  a  stop  to  further  attempts  at  coaling,  and  left  us  freo 
scope  to  go  ahead  and  get  the  ship  ready  for  inspection. 

The  officers  of  the  ship  were  entertained  very  nicely  by  a  num- 
ber of  people  on  shore.  They  attended  the  Casino  ball  on  the 
24th  of  July,  a  grand  wedding-party  at  Mr.  McKimmel's  on 


66  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

August  3,  the  ball  at  the  club  Regatta  de  Guarnabarense  on  the 
12th  inst.,  and  were  entertained  twice  by  Mr.  F.  Sauwen,  the 
Belgian  consul-general,  at  his  charming  country-seat  at  Paradise. 
This  place  is  in  a  valley  about  an  hour's  journey  from  Rio,  over 
the  ferry  to  Nitheroy.  The  park  is  magnificently  laid  out,  every 
variety  of  tropical  tree  and  plant  being  represented,  the  celebrated 
pond-lily  Victoria  Regia  being  among  the  most  curious.  Mr. 
Sauwen  took  special  pains  to  explain  the  peculiarities  of  the 
various  trees,  and  gave  the  officers  a  royal  treat.  It  would 
be  difficult  to  convey  any  adequate  idea  of  the  beauty  of  the 
place  so  artistically  laid  out.  His  house  is  a  wonder  for  the  coun- 
try, being  a  perfect  gem,  with  every  modern  convenience  com- 
bined with  the  beauty  of  an  ancient  Moorish  dwelling.  Those 
who  availed  themselves  of  his  hospitality  can  never  forget  the 
delightful  time  spent  at  his  home  so  appropriately  called  "  Para- 
dise." 

THE   "BROOKLYN"   MINSTRELS. 

The  organization  of  the  "  Brooklyn"  Minstrels  proceeded  with- 
out interruption  after  the  impromptu  entertainment  on  the  Fourth 
of  July.  Mr.  Beach  was  indefatigable  in  his  efforts  to  train  the 
men  who  came  forward  to  participate,  and  their  frequent  rehearsals 
in  the  fire-room  resulted  in  giving  us  a  delightful  entertainment 
on  the  evening  of  the  28th  of  July.  The  subscription  to  the 
fund  was  generally  responded  to  by  all,  and  a  full  report  of  the 
finance  committee  was  presented. 

The  stage  was  rigged  up  on  the  quarter-deck,  just  abaft  the 
mainmast,  with  its  after-end  resting  on  the  forward  part  of  the 
engine-room  hatch,  just  leaving  narrow  gangways  on  each  side. 
The  stage  was  screened  in  on  three  sides  by  sails  hung  from  a 
superstructure  erected  by  the  carpenter's  gang,  while  a  red  baize 
drop-curtain,  fitted  with  brails,  closed  in  the  front.  All  the  guns 
on  the  quarter-deck  were  transported  forward,  and  the  awnings 
and  sides  were  tastefully  decorated  with  flags  and  bunting,  the 
combined  effect  being  very  handsome.     The  stage  was  fitted  with 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  67 

six  wings,  two  of  which  formed  a  part  of  the  front,  while  the 
other  two,  on  each  side,  formed  parts  of  the  drop-scenes,  repre- 
senting a  forest  and  a  city  street,  respectively.  This  arrangement 
left  passage-ways  on  the  stage  on  both  sides  for  the  entrances  and 
exits,  both  of  which  led  to  the  green-room,  formed  by  sails  screen- 
ing in  the  space  around  the  mainmast  and  forward  on  the  port 
side  of  the  smoke-stack. 

The  ship's  company  occupied  the  port  side  of  the  quarter-deck 
and  the  hammock-nettings,  the  latter  serving  as  peanut-galleries, 
but  we  missed  the  enterprising  merchant  with  his  peanuts,  opera- 
books,  and  photographs,  notwithstanding  the  demands  for  the  pic- 
ture of  "  Dqt  nice  leetle  Irish  gals."  The  officers  sent  out  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  invitations  to  the  English-speaking  com- 
munity of  Rio  Janeiro,  including  a  few  to  some  Brazilians,  nearly 
all  of  whom  came,  and  were  assigned  to  seats  on  the  starboard  side 
of  the  quarter-deck  and  poop. 

The  following  distinguished  guests  occupied  the  reserved  seats 
on  the  forward  part  of  the  poop :  Rear- Admiral  and  Mrs.  Crosby, 
the  United  States  minister,  Thomas  A.  Osborne,  and  family,  the 
British  minister,  Thomas  Corbin,  the  British  consul-general,  A. 
Ricketts,  and  wife,  the  Russian  charg^  d'affaires,  Mr.  C.  N.  Lis- 
chine,  and  wife,  the  Italian  chargd  d'affaires,  Count  Albert  de  For- 
esta,  Count  and  Countess  de  Estrela,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peries,  and  a 
number  of  Brazilian  officers  in  uniform,  with  a  delegation  from 
the  Argentine  corvette  "  Parana."  A  number  of  charming  young 
ladies  came  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hancock,  Mr.  Bailee,  and  others, 
who  occupied  seats  on  the  quarter-deck  with  personal  friends  of 
the  officers.  Mr.  Paul  Taves,  Mr.  C.  P.  Mackie,  and  Mr.  Lage 
kindly  offered  their  steam-barges,  which,  with  our  steam-launch, 
were  used  to  convey  the  guests  to  and  from  the  ship.  A  com- 
mittee of  officers  was  appointed  to  receive  the  guests  at  the  land- 
ing on  shore,  and  also  at  the  gangway  on  board  ship. 

The  guests  arrived  at  7.15  p.m.,  and  as  soon  as  the  admiral  and 
his  party  were  seated  the  curtain  rose  at  the  signal  from  an  eleo- 


68  THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

trie  bell,  and  disclosed  the  entire  troupe  of  nine  negroes  with  six 
of  the  ship's  band  in  the  rear.  The  appearance  of  the  company 
produced  a  favorable  impression,  and  as  they  took  their  seats  the 
ease  and  sang-froid  with  which  "  tambo"  enacted  his  part  and 
created  his  little  diversion  heralded  the  perfect  success  of  the  en- 
tertainment. The  following  programme  was  carried  out  in  every 
particular.  Copies  were  printed  on  fine  note-paper  at  the  Eagle 
office  and  distributed  among  the  audience  before  the  curtain  rose : 

PART  I. 

Overture Instrumental 

Still  I  Love  Thee A.  B.  Morton 

Peter  Simple R.  Allen 

Blue-Eyed  Nellie J.  Looby 

Medley J.  J.  McCabe 

PART  II. 

Clog  Dance •      .         G.  Ryan 

School-boy's  Recitation, 

Bingen  on  the  Rhine J.  J.  McCabe 

Sarah  Walker J.  W.  Howourth 

THE  TWO  SUBJECTS. 

Dr.  Toro  Splints William  Jarrard 

Patrick  Duffy J.  Looby 

Hans  van  Kinterlebth J.  J.  McCabe 

Bridget  O'Lafferty R.  Allen 

Old  Grandfather  Ben A.  B.  Morton 

Dear  Old  Wife  and  I Morton  and  Howourth 

Song  and  Dance G.  Ryan 

UNCLE  EPH'S  DREAM. 

Uncle  Eph J.  J.  McCabe 

Master  George William  Jarrard 

Aunt  Chloe George  Miller 

Young  Eph  .........         William  La  Forge* 

Plantation  hands,  etc. 

The  company  occupied  the  entire  front  of  the  stage  and  sat  in 


THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  69 

a  semicircle.  The  middle-man  wore  a  plain  evening  dress,  while 
Bones  and  Tambo  were  rigged  up  gorgeously  with  bright  "  Dolly 
Varden"  waistcoats  (swallow-tails),  extravagant  neck-ties  and  col- 
lars, with  immense  buttonhole-bouquets.  The  rest  of  the  troupe 
wore  plain  white  shirts,  and  presented  a  neat  and  graceful  picture. 
The  men  were  very  thoroughly  blackened,  and  the  wigs  effected 
such  a  perfect  disguise  that  some  were  not  recognized  by  their  own 
shipmates  during  the  whole  performance.  The  play  opened  with 
a  rollicking  selection  by  the  band,  with  bones,  tambourine,  and 
guitar  of  the  troupe.  This  selection  was  so  appropriate  to  the 
character  of  the  entertainment  that  the  entire  company  went  in 
with  a  free  and  easy  manner,  which  insured  the  success  of  the 
whole  evening.  The  jests  exchanged  between  Bones  and  Tambo 
and  the  wise  middle-man  took  well  and  served  to  introduce  the 
several  selections  admirably.  This  was  particularly  true  of  the 
selection  by  R.  Allen  of  "  Peter  Simple."  Tambo  asked  Bones 
how  Captain  Weaver  could  get  fresh  eggs  for  breakfast  when  the 
ship  was  crossing  the  line.  Bones  could  not  tell,  and  the  middle- 
man had  to  give  it  up.  Tambo  replied  that  he  only  had  to  bring 
the  ship  by  the  wind  and  have  her  "  lay  to."  The  imitations 
that  followed  of  the  cackling  hen  by  Allen  were  exceedingly  good, 
and  kept  the  audience  in  roars  of  laughter  and  brought  out  the 
heartiest  encores,  which  necessitated  the  repetition  of  the  song. 

Morton  sang  "  Still  I  Love  Thee"  very  well,  this  selection  being 
the  best  musical  effort  of  the  troupe.  The  chorus  did  best  in 
Looby's  sentimental  song  *'  Blue-Eyed  Nellie,"  which  was  very 
pretty,  and  served  as  a  charming  interlude  between  the  absurdities 
of  Tambo  and  Bones.  In  the  most  pathetic  part  of  this  song 
two  of  the  lanterns  fell  down  by  the  band,  and  the  absurd  aston- 
ishment of  Tambo  in  looking  like  a  perfect  idiot  to  see  what  was 
up  proved  him  to  be  an  adept  as  an  end-man. 

The  best  hit  was  made  in  the  comparison  of  an  Irishman  to  a 
lobster.  Bones  found  a  resemblance  in  that  both  wore  a  green 
coat,  but  Tambo  asked  why  an  Irishman  ain't  like  a  lobster,  and 


70  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

when  neither  Bones  nor  Mr.  Jarrard  could  guess,  he  brought  down 
the  house  by  explaining  that  if  you  boiled  a  lobster  his  coat 
would  turn  red,  but  that  you  might  bile  an  Irishman  until  he  was 
bald-headed  and  he  never  would  wear  a  red  coat.  The  ship's 
company  enjoyed  the  joke  about  preaching  best  of  all.  Tambo 
asked  what  a  preacher  ought  to  preach  about.  Mr.  Jarrard  said 
he  thought  a  preacher  should  preach  about  integrity,  virtue, 
sobriety,  etc.  Bones  thought  he  should  preach  about  fifteen  min- 
utes, but  the  roar  that  followed  Tambo  when  he  said  a  preacher 
should  preach  about  liberty  was  just  immense.  Some  of  the  jokes 
were  lost  to  those  in  the  rear  seats  because  they  did  not  speak 
loud  enough,  and  the  same  criticism  applies  to  some  of  the  songs. 
A  tableau  was  arranged  as  a  finale  to  the  first  part,  with  the  God- 
dess of  Liberty  and  the  Army  and  Navy  group.  The  group  was 
very  good  in  itself.  Charles  P.  Gibbons  looked  well  as  "  Goddess 
of  Liberty,"  and  H.  E.  Collyer  as  an  American  seaman,  while 
Joseph  M.  Kenney  made  a  very  fair  representative  for  the  army. 

Ryan's  clog-dancing  astonished  the  Brazilians,  and  many  after- 
wards expressed  their  wonder  how  he  could  keep  his  feet  going  so 
constantly.  He  certainly  did  admirably,  especially  in  the  first 
dance,  agreeably  surprising  every  one  who  had  supposed  McCann 
indispensable  to  the  troupe. 

The  school-boy's  recitation  of  "  Bingen  on  the  Rhine"  was  one 
of  the  very  best  imitations,  and  McCabe's  real  talent  flashed 
upon  the  audience  like  a  new  discovery,  which  obliged  him  to 
give  two  other  imitations,  when  he  still  further  astonished  the 
audience  by  his  imitation  of  the  school-girl's  poetical  recitation, 
the  tone  of  voice,  manner,  and  every  detail,  except  his  personal 
appearance,  being  a  perfect  representation  of  the  smart  girl  at 
school. 

Howourth,  as  "  Sarah  Walker,"  was  exceedingly  good.  He 
looked  so  much  like  a  little  tottering  old  woman  that  he  was  not 
recognized  by  any  except  those  in  the  secret.  He  thoroughly 
identified  himself  with  the  character,  and  was  vociferously  encored. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  71 

The  sketch  of  the  "  Two  Subjecta"  was  excellent.  McCabe, 
Allen,  and  Looby  formed  a  trio  which  would  do  credit  to  the  pro- 
fession, the  love  scenes  between  Biddy  and  her  two  lovers  being 
very  entertaining.  The  appreciation  of  the  audience  was  so  mani- 
fest that  the  trio  fairly  revelled  in  their  parts,  and  the  dialogue 
was  interspersed  with  witticisms  which  no  end  of  rehearsals 
could  effect. 

Morton,  as  "  Grandfather  Ben,"  and  with  Howourth  in  the 
duet,  was  above  criticism.  He  would  form  a  troupe  in  himself, 
and  he  kept  up  the  enthusiasm  of  the  audience  until  the  last 
piece,  "  Uncle  Eph's  Dream."  This  last  piece  was  not  so  favor- 
ably received  as  the  others.  The  other  parts  of  the  programme 
were  so  extraordinarily  good  that  this  sketch  is  the  only  one  on 
which  the  critic  could  rest,  while  the  character  of  the  sketch  itself 
was  not  understood  by  the  audience  generally. 

The  curtain  fell  on  the  last  scene  at  9.45  p.m.,  when  the  guests 
were  conducted  down  into  the  wardroom  for  refreshments.  The 
stage  and  its  appurtenances  were  dismantled  in  about  five  minutes. 
Both  sides  of  the  quarter-deck  were  cleared,  and  the  officers  gave 
a  hop  as  a  sequel  to  the  minstrels.  This  proved  very  pleasant, 
and  our  guests  went  home  apparently  delighted  with  their  evening 
on  board  the  "  Brooklyn."  We  were  favored  with  a  bright  moon- 
light night,  and  everything  passed  off  pleasantly  for  all. 


72  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Admiral's  Ball — The  Reception  of  the  Princess  Imperial  and  Comte  d'Eu 
— The  Special  Performance  by  the  Celebrated  "Brooklyn"  Minstrels — Subse- 
quent Arrival  of  the  Emperor  Dom  Pedro  II. — The  Fazenda  Santa  Anna — 
Description  of  a  Brazilian  Coffee  Plantation — Detachment  of  OfiBeers — De- 
parture from  Rio — The  Inspection  of  the  Ship  by  Admiral  Crosby — The 
Arrival  of  the  "  Galena" — The  Cruise  of  the  "  Marion"  and  her  Departure  for 
Home. 

THE  ADMIRAL'S  BALL. 

The  Emperor  Dom  Pedro  II.,  the  princess  imperial  with  her 
husband,  Comte  d'Eu,  and  the  aristocratic  society  of  Rio,  were 
magnificently  entertained  by  Rear-Admiral  and  Mrs.  Pierce 
Crosby  on  board  this  ship  on  the  26th  of  August.  This  enter- 
tainment afforded  the  admiral  an  opportunity  to  show  his  appreci- 
ation of  the  kind  hospitality  shown  him  and  our  officers  by  the 
good  people  of  Rio,  while  the  whole  character  of  the  reception 
expressed  better  than  words  can  convey  the  sympathy  and  cor- 
diality existing  between  the  United  States  and  Brazil. 

The  admiral  personally  invited  the  emperor  to  visit  the 
"  Brooklyn"  whenever  it  might  suit  his  majesty's  pleasure,  which 
he  accepted  by  a  letter  stating  that  he  and  their  imperial  high- 
nesses would  visit  the  ship  on  Saturday,  August  26,  and  that  he 
would  come  between  ten  and  eleven  p.m.,  while  their  highnesses 
would  come  at  an  earlier  hour.  On  a  subsequent  visit  of  the 
admiral  to  the  princess  the  latter  expressed  a  wish  to  see  the 
"  Brooklyn"  Minstrels,  the  success  of  which  had  reached  her 
ears. 

The  admiral  invited  Captain  Weaver  and  the  officers  of  the  ship 
to  assist  him  and  Mrs.  Crosby  in  the  entertainment  of  the  distin- 
guished guests,  and  by  their  united  efforts  under  his  direction  the 


THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  73 

whole  affair  was  eminently  successful  and  was  the  event  of  the 
season  in  E,io. 

The  ship  was  beautifully  decorated,  and  presented  an  appear- 
ance never  to  be  forgotten  by  those  who  attended.  The  stage  oc- 
cupied the  same  place  as  in  the  last  minstrels,  and  was  appropri- 
ately decorated  with  the  Brazilian  and  American  flags  entwined 
over  the  top  and  gracefully  falling  in  folds  on  both  sides  of  the 
drop-curtain.  The  awnings  were  carried  aloft  about  eight  feet 
and  were  lined  with  national  flags,  disposed  so  that  the  Brazilian 
and  American  flags  should  be  in  juxtaposition  with  those  of  the 
other  nations  represented,  notably  the  English,  French,  Italian, 
and  Argentine,  though  from  the  manner  in  which  these  and  all 
national  flags  were  displayed,  none  had  any  undue  prominence  over 
the  other,  except  that  the  Brazilian  flag  was  most  conspicuously 
placed  with  our  own. 

The  guns  were  all  transported  forward  oflF  the  quarter-deck, 
which  was  waxed  and  illuminated  with  Chinese  lanterns,  chande- 
liers, and  candelabra  arranged  on  stands,  etc.  One  immense  chan- 
delier, designed  by  the  chief  engineer,  was  hung  from  below  the 
centre  of  the  quarter-deck  awning.  It  carried  about  one  hundred 
candles,  and  was  so  artistically  decorated  with  bunting  as  to  elicit 
geiferal  admiration.  The  poop-ladders  were  removed,  and  two 
broad  staircases  with  an  easy  incline  were  substituted  in  their 
place.  These  were  made  on  board  ship,  and  were  so  tastefully 
decorated  with  bunting,  canvas,  narrow  long  pennants,  and  com- 
bined with  pots  of  tropical  plants  on  the  sides,  that  they  looked 
very  imposing.  The  poop  was  decorated  in  the  same  style,  while 
the  hatches  and  skylights  were  there  built  up  with  candelabra  ar- 
ranged around  them  so  as  to  shed  a  beautiful  light  around  and 
through  the  leaves  of  a  great  number  of  tropical  plants.  The 
sides  were  closed  in  with  canvas  curtains  decorated  with  flags,  and 
completed  a  magnificent  scene  when  the  distinguished  guests 
arrived,  representing  the  beauty  and  wealth  of  the  metropolis  of 
South  America. 


74  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Three  steam-barges,  kindly  loaned  by  Messrs.  Taves,  Lage,  and 
Mackie,  were  used  to  convey  the  guests  to  the  ship.  Chaplain 
Boyce  and  Midshipman  Snowden  received  the  guests  as  they 
arrived  at  the  landing  and  assigned  them  to  the  boats,  all  being 
invited  so  that  they  would  be  on  board  before  the  imperial  party, 
in  compliance  with  court  etiquette.  The  night  was  dark,  but  the 
"  Brooklyn"  and  the  course  of  the  boats  between  the  ship  and 
landing  were  beautifully  illuminated  by  two  revolving  electric 
lights  of  twelve  thousand  candle-power  each,  run  by  a  Siemens 
dynamo-electric  machine  on  board  the  Brazilian  monitor  "  Soli- 
moes."  This  illumination  was  continued  all  night,  and  clearly  out- 
lined the  ship  and  her  rigging. 

The  guests  were  received  by  a  committee  of  officers,  consisting 
of  Captain  Weaver,  Paymaster  Goldsborough,  Lieutenants  Sebree, 
Calhoun,  and  Hunker,  and  Midshipman  Kipley,  who  conducted 
them  to  the  cloak-room,  and  afterwards  escorted  them  to  the  poop- 
deck,  where  they  were  received  by  the  Admiral  and  Mrs.  Crosby, 
assisted  by  the  United  States  Minister  Osborne  and  wife  and  Mrs. 
Ricketts,  the  wife  of  the  British  consul-general.  Admiral  Baron 
Grivel,  commanding  the  French  naval  forces,  was  received  at  the 
gangway  by  Admiral  Crosby,  and  the  commanding  officers  of  the 
Brazilian,  English,  French,  Italian,  and  Argentine  men-of-war  by 
Captain  Weaver  in  accordance  with  the  usual  naval  etiquette. 

The  guests  remained  on  the  poop  until  after  the  arrival  of  the 
princess,  who  came  at  9.15  in  the  imperial  barge,  pulling  twenty- 
four  oars,  from  the  navy-yard,  a  stream  of  electric  light  constantly 
illuminating  her  course.  When  the  barge  hove  in  sight  the  bugle 
sounded  the  assembly,  the  marine  guard  formed  in  line  on  the 
port  side  of  the  quarter-deck  and  stood  at  attention.  The  officers 
of  this  ship  and  the  Brazilian  officers  formed  line  on  the  starboard 
side  of  the  deck,  while  Mrs.  Crosby,  Mrs.  Osborne,  Mrs.  Ricketts, 
the  Countess  Estrela,  and  Baroness  Tosti  (the  two  latter  being  the 
most  intimate  friends  of  the  princess)  stood  aft  on  the  quarter- 
deck to  receive  the  distinguished  party. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  75 

Admiral  Crosby,  Baron  Grivel,  Captain  Weaver,  and  Lieu- 
tenant Marix  received  the  imperial  party  at  the  gangway  and  oon- 
dacted  them  to  the  cabin,  while  the  band  played  the  Brazilian 
national  air.  The  princess  took  Admiral  Crosby's  arm  and  bowed 
to  the  officers  as  she  passed  along.  After  being  received  by  the 
ladies  the  party  went  into  the  admiral's  cabin,  reserved  as  a 
dressing-room  for  their  use. 

In  the  mean  time  about  two  hundred  chairs  were,  as  if  by 
magic,  ranged  on  the  quarter-deck  in  front  of  the  stage,  and  the 
guests  came  down  from  the  poop  and  were  seated  to  see  the  min- 
strel performance.  The  imperial  party  occupied  the  seats  on  the 
poop  with  the  members  of  the  cabinet,  diplomatic  corps,  and  their 
families,  and  Admiral  and  Mrs.  Crosby.  As  soon  as  the  princess 
was  seated  the  curtain  rose  and  disclosed  the  minstrel  troupe  in 
their  places  on  the  stage.  The  stage  and  general  appearance  of 
the  company  was  similar  to  that  of  the  previous  entertainment, 
though  the  end-men  were  changed,  James  Murphy  taking  Mc- 
Cabe's  place  as  Bones,  and  William  Jarrard  acted  as  Tambo  instead 
of  Allen.  The  following  programme  was  carried  out,  and  served 
very  well  to  give  an  idea  of  what  the  first  regular  minstrel  per- 
formance was : 

PART  I. 

Overture Instrumental 

Dinah's  Serenade A.  B.  Morton 

Hiyah  Cumshaw J.  Murphy 

Golden  Slippers William  Jarrard 

PART   II. 

Bohool-boy's  Composition J.  McCab« 

Awfully  Clevah A.  B.  Morton 

Irish  Pat J.  Looby 

St.  Patrick's  Day  Parade Company 

The  company,  however,  did  not  do  nearly  so  well  as  before. 
Some  of  their  best  songs  had  to  be  omitted  because  they  were 
only  allowed  about  twenty-five  minutes  to  act,  in  order  that  the 


76  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

stage  might  be  removed  before  the  arrival  of  his  majesty  the  em- 
peror. About  half  of  the  crew  came  aft  to  see  the  show  and  stood 
up  on  the  quarter-deck ;  but  their  respect  for  the  imperial  party 
detracted  so  much  from  the  interest  in  the  exhibition,  that  the  per- 
formance, though  very  good,  lacked  spirit,  and  the  guests  failed  to 
see  the  enthusiasm  of  Jack,  which  was  one  of  the  best  features  of 
the  first  entertainment. 

The  guests  quietly  left  their  seats  on  the  quarter-deck,  as  if 
from  force  of  habit  at  the  end  of  a  theatrical  exhibition,  and  re- 
paired to  the  poop,  while  the  crew  cleared  away  the  chairs  and 
proceeded  to  dismantle  the  stage,  which,  when  down,  left  a  magnifi- 
cent ball-room  instead  of  a  theatre.  In  the  mean  time  the  bugle 
announced  the  emperor,  the  officers  ranged  in  line  as  before,  while 
the  marines  stood  on  the  port  side  of  the  deck  at  attention.  The 
appearance  of  the  guard  in  full-dress  coats,  white  trousers,  and 
white  helmets,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Fagan,  attracted 
general  admiration  and  reflected  great  credit  on  the  ship. 

His  majesty,  accompanied  by  Count  d'Igassue,  the  first  cham- 
berlain, and  a  staff  of  distinguished  officers,  arrived  in  the  imperial 
barge  at  10.15  p.m.,  and  was  received  by  Rear- Admiral  Crosby 
and  Admiral  Baron  Grivel,  whom  Admiral  Crosby  had  specially 
invited  to  assist  him  in  receiving  his  majesty,  and  conducted  aft 
through  the  line  of  officers  as  at  the  previous  reception  of  his 
daughter.  The  emperor  went  directly  aft  to  where  the  princess 
and  Comte  d'Eu  were  seated,  both  of  whom  rose  and  kissed  his 
hand,  after  which  a  number  of  the  distinguished  guests  came 
forward  and  paid  their  respects. 

During  this  time  the  band  of  the  French  flag-ship  played  a 
march,  and  then  alternated  with  our  band  during  the  rest  of  the 
evening.  The  ball  then  opened  with  a  quadrille,  at  the  head  being 
the  princess  with  Admiral  Crosby  for  her  partner,  and  Councillor 
Doria  with  Mrs.  Osborne  as  vis-d-vis,  then  Comte  d'Eu  and  Mrs. 
Crosby,  with  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  and  the  Countess 
Macedon  as  their  vis-d-tns.     The  dancing  then  became  general, 


THE  CRUISE   OF   THE  BROOKLYN.  77 

and  the  handsome  toilets  of  the  distinguished  guests  made  a  scene 
of  surpassing  beauty. 

Refreshments  were  eerved  in  the  wardroom  from  this  time  on, 
the  novel  features  being  a  delicious  punch  prepared  by  Dr.  Bur- 
bank  and  a  large  variety  of  American  cakes,  which,  strange  to  say, 
are  not  to  be  had  in  Rio.  Ices  and  the  usual  variety  of  substan- 
tial also  abounded,  prepared  under  the  auspices  of  Lieutenant 
Beehler. 

The  emperor  and  their  imperial  highnesses  made  themselves  at 
home,  and  seemed  to  have  enjoyed  the  entertainment  very  much. 
At  1.30  A.M.  they  went  into  the  admiral's  cabin,  where  a  special 
collation  had  been  prepared  for  them,  the  following  being  also 
present  at  this  repast :  Governor  and  Mrs.  Osborne,  Count  d'lgas- 
8ue,  the  chamberlain  and  lady-in-waiting  of  the  princess,  the  Prime 
Minister  and  Ministers  of  Foreign  AflFairs,  Marine,  and  Interior, 
Admiral  Baron  Grivel,  Admiral  and  Mrs.  Crosby.  The  dancing 
was  kept  up  with  great  spirit  during  the  entire  night,  though  the 
guests  began  to  leave  shortly  after  the  emperor  went  into  the 
cabin. 

The  imperial  party  left  the  ship  at  2.45  A.M.,  the  officers  form- 
ing line  and  the  guard  at  attention  as  upon  their  arrival.  As  soon 
as  the  barge  left  we  fired  a  salute  of  twenty-one  rockets,  and  kept 
the  ship  illuminated  with  signals  and  blue-lights  until  she  was  well 
on  her  way  home,  while  the  electric  light  in  charge  of  Captain 
Alencar  lit  up  her  course  as  before.  The  rest  of  the  guests  de- 
parted in  the  course  of  an  hour,  all  delighted  with  the  elegant  and 
novel  entertainment. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  principal  guesta  not  pre- 
viously mentioned :  Ex-President  Avellaneda  of  the  Argentine 
Republic,  Duke  del  Drago,  grand-nephew  of  the  emperor,  the 
ministers  of  France,  Russia,  Italy,  Argentine  Republic,  Uruguay, 
and  Sweden,  with  their  families.  Councillors  and  Madames  de 
Pintos  and  Dantos,  Senator  Octaviano,  Viscount  and  Viscountess 
Barbacena,  Baron  and  Baroness  de  Mello,  Admiral  de  la  Maro 

6 


78  THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

and  wife,  Admiral  Silvera  de  Motta  and  wife,  Viscount  and  Vis- 
countess de  Garcia,  Messrs.  Hancox,  Levison  Gower,  and  F. 
Sauwen,  with  their  wives,  Baron  and  Baroness  de  Rio  Bonito,  and 
Count  Floresta,  besides  many  others  of  the  most  distinguished  and 
aristocratic  families  of  Rio. 

Every  one  on  board  the  "  Brooklyn"  fully  appreciated  the  great 
honor  which  his  majesty  and  their  imperial  highnesses  conferred 
by  their  visit  to  the  "  Brooklyn,"  a  compliment  not  only  to  our 
ship  and  the  naval  service,  but  to  the  whole  country. 

About  daylight  next  morning  the  admiral's  orderly,  Edward 
Hurley,  found  a  magnificent  brooch  containing  about  forty  dia- 
monds set  in  with  rubies,  which  he  immediately  reported  to  the 
officer  of  the  deck.  Subsequently  the  brooch  was  found  to  be  the 
property  of  one  of  the  guests,  who  sent  Hurley  a  handsome  re- 
ward of  money  in  a  polite  note  through  the  Countess  Estrela. 

THE   FAZBNDA  SANTA  ANNA. 

On  August  10  Rear- Admiral  and  Mrs.  Crosby,  accompanied  by 
Mr.  Jarbas  Octaviano,  Lieutenants  Marix  and  Hunker,  and  Dr. 
Steele,  left  Rio  to  accept  an  invitation  from  the  Baron  de  Rio 
Bonito  to  visit  his  coffee  plantation.  A  ride  of  about  seventy 
miles  on  the  Dom  Pedro  II.  Railroad  through  the  most  beautiful 
mountain  scenery  brought  the  party  to  Barra  do  Pirahy,  and  a 
half-hour's  drive  by  carriage  landed  them  safely  at  the  baron's 
residence  on  the  plantation.  It  was  with  peculiar  satisfaction  they 
found  themselves  in  cars  built  in  the  United  States,  drawn  by 
locomotives  from  Philadelphia,  and  the  whole  under  control  of  an 
air-brake  manufactured  in  Pennsylvania.  During  their  absence 
they  were  afforded  every  opportunity  to  see  coffee  in  all  its  stages 
from  the  tree  to  the  cup,  and  have  been  good  enough  to  furnish  us 
with  the  following : 

CoJBfee  takes  its  name  from  a  district  in  Ethiopia,  Africa,  called 
Kaflfa,  where  the  tree  grows  wild.  The  coffee-plant  is  an  ever- 
green and  the  foliage  is  always  fresh.    The  harvests  are  two  annu- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  79 

ally.  It  requires  warm  situations,  and  does  not  thrive  where  the 
temperature  is  below  fifty-five  degrees,  or  at  elevations  of  more 
than  six  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  principal 
coffee-producing  countries  are  Brazil,  Java,  Ceylon,  Sumatra, 
India,  Arabia,  the  West  Indies,  Venezuela,  and  some  of  the 
Pacific  islands.  Of  all  produced  Brazil  furnishes  more  than  half, 
the  larger  part  of  this  being  sent  to  the  United  States. 

The  fazenda  or  plantation  visited  by  the  party  is  called  Santa 
Anna,  and  is  very  large,  covering  an  area  of  twelve  square  miles. 
It  was  found  necessary  to  facilitate  the  work  to  connect  the  head- 
quarters where  the  negro  slaves  reside  by  telephone  line  six  miles 
in  length.  It  was  over  this  line  the  party  heard  distinctly  a  negro 
orchestra.  This  fazenda  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  most  complete  in 
Brazil,  being  furnished  with  the  most  approved  machinery,  of 
which  there  is  considerable, — blacksmith-  and  carpenter-shops,  a 
good  hospital,  with  medical  attendance  for  the  four  hundred  slaves 
who  reside  there,  a  fine  orchard  and  garden,  and  many  substantial 
and  well-kept  buildings.  In  addition  to  the  culture  of  coffee  a 
great  deal  of  labor  is  expended  in  raising  sugar-cane,  corn,  beans, 
rice,  mandioca,  oranges,  bananas,  and  vegetables.  Everything 
raised,  excepting  coffee,  is  for  consumption  on  the  plantation.  A 
generous  mountain  stream  furnishes  the  power,  through  a  huge 
overshot-wheel,  which  runs  the  machinery  for  grinding  corn  and 
mandioca,  pressing  the  juice  from  the  cane,  etc. ;  excellent  sugar 
and  rum  are  also  made. 

The  coffee-trees  on  this  fazenda  number  one  million  four  hun- 
dred thousand,  are  planted  on  the  hill-side,  as  it  is  essential  when 
they  thrive  that  the  soil  does  not  retain  water.  The  trees  are 
kept  from  five  to  eight  feet  in  height,  both  for  convenience  in 
gathering  and  to  increase  their  productiveness.  The  trunk  is  cov- 
ered with  a  grayish  bark,  and  its  white  blossoms  grow  in  clusters 
around  the  branches.  It  is  propagated  by  planting  the  seeds  in 
nurseries,  and,  after  a  year,  transplanting  on  the  plantation  in 
rows,  when  they  present  somewhat  the  appearance  of  a  viacyard 


80  THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

in  their  regularity.  The  full  producing  power  is  not  reached  until 
the  fifth  year,  and  they  frequently  reach  thirty  years  of  age,  when 
generally  the  soil  will  be  found  to  be  exhausted.  Between  the 
rows  of  trees  are  planted  orange-trees,  Indian  corn,  and  mandioca 
without  any  effort  at  regularity ;  the  fruit  of  the  former  and  the 
corn-meal  are  highly  prized  by  the  negroes. 

The  coffee  when  ripe  is  a  deep  red  and  resembles  a  cherry, 
though  a  trifle  smaller.  Each  berry  contains  two  seeds,  arranged 
with  the  flat  sides  opposed  ;  the  fleshy  part  that  surrounds  the 
seeds  and  separates  them  is  sweet  and  quite  palatable.  The  seeds 
are  separated  by  a  thin  layer  of  the  fleshy  substance,  and  both  are 
closely  enveloped  by  a  tough  membrane.  In  speaking  of  the  seeds 
the  ordinary  bean  is  meant  that  comes  in  the  coffee-bag  ready  to 
roast.  The  berries  being  picked  are  carried  to  a  trough  of  run- 
ning water,  into  which  they  are  thrown  and  carried  along  some 
distance  with  the  stream  to  a  drying-bed.  The  next  step  is  to 
dry  the  berries  in  the  sun  by  spreading  them  upon  large  concrete 
beds,  about  two  hundred  by  three  hundred  feet,  raised  between 
two  and  three  feet  from  the  ground,  with  a  slightly-inclined  sur- 
face to  drain  them  in  case  of  rain.  The  berries  upon  these  beds 
will  be  several  inches  deep,  and  during  the  day,  while  the  sun 
is  pouring  down  upon  them,  the  slaves  run  through  them  with 
large  wooden  hoes,  so  as  to  expose  new  surfaces  and  insure  their 
being  thoroughly  dried.  This  drying  process  turns  the  berries 
black,  the  flesh  part  becomes  hard  and  forms  a  shell  or  hull,  which 
is  removed  by  machinery.  This  accomplished  the  seeds  become 
separated,  and  each  with  its  tough  membrane  is  again  exposed  to 
the  sun  for  many  days,  until  the  membrane  becomes  brittle  and  is 
readily  removed  by  machinery.  During  this  second  drying  the 
coffee  is  not  allowed  to  be  exposed  to  any  moisture,  and  to  protect 
it  from  the  dew  and  rain,  should  there  be  any,  nightly,  it  is  hoed 
into  numerous  heaps  on  the  drying-beds  where  it  was  exposed 
during  the  day,  and  covered  with  tarpaulins. 

The  seeds  with  the  membrane  removed  are  ready  to  be  win- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  81 

nowed,  which  not  only  removes  the  chaff,  but  the  rapid  motion 
imparted  by  the  sieves  rubs  the  seeds  against  each  other,  develops 
the  oil  and  polishes  them.  The  quantity  of  oil  in  coffee  is  made 
very  apparent  whenever  the  seeds  are  handled ;  the  boards  of  the 
bin  and  flooring  become  dark  and  highly  polished,  making  walk- 
ing diflBcult.  The  last  process  it  undergoes  before  it  is  ready  for 
the  market  is  sorting.  This  is  done  exclusively  by  women,  and 
requires  that  every  seed  be  handled.  Color  and  form  are  both 
consulted.  The  small  round  seeds  that  pass  for  Mocha  generally 
grow  at  the  tops  of  the  trees.  It  might  not  be  out  of  place  to 
add  here  that  what  is  known  as  "  unwashed"  coffee,  and  considered 
of  inferior  quality  in  Brazil,  is  the  only  kind  that  is  marketable 
in  the  United  States, 

If  the  coffee  is  intended  for  the  European  market  it  is  generally 
deposited  from  the  troughs  of  running  water  into  a  large  semi- 
cylindrical  masonry  cistern,  through  which  runs  a  horizontal  axis 
with  spokes  at  intervals ;  the  beans,  if  ripe,  upon  being  struck  by 
these  spokes  break,  and  the  seeds  are  detached  from  the  fleshy 
part ;  the  whole  mass  is  then  spread  on  the  drying-bed,  and  the 
method  of  curing  is  essentially  the  same  as  for  other  coffee.  Coffee 
treated  in  this  way  is  known  as  "  washed  coffee," 

The  last  night  at  the  fazenda  the  four  hundred  slaves  were  drawn 
up  in  line  at  eight  p.m.  and  each  given  a  gill  of  rum  for  some  extra 
labor  they  had  performed.  At  a  command  of  the  overseer,  when 
all  had  received  their  liquor,  they  shouted  "  God  bless  us !"  and 
were  dismissed,  the  time  until  10.30  being  their  own.  This 
interval  they  employed  in  amusing  the  guests  with  songs  and 
dances ;  the  words,  a  mixture  of  Portuguese  and  some  African  dia- 
lect ;  the  music,  their  voices,  accompanied  by  rude  drums  and  a 
large  tin  filled  with  beans,  resembling  a  child's  rattle.  At  10.30 
the  bell  used  to  arouse  them,  to  call  them  to  work,  etc.,  was  rung, 
when  they  retired  to  their  sleeping  quarters,  and  after  a  brief  prayer, 
in  which  they  all  participated,  were  locked  in  for  the  night.  These 
four  hundred  slaves  and  their  one  hundred  children  are  under  a 


82  THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

rigid  surveillance,  and  the  work  is  regulated  as  by  machinery.  In 
order  to  prevent  the  mingling  of  the  slaves  from  the  two  head- 
quarters, the  day  for  recreation  of  one  will  be  Sunday,  the  other 
Thursday. 

The  following  morning  the  party  left  the  fazenda  with  a  great 
deal  of  regret,  having  enjoyed  their  visit  exceedingly,  both  on  ac- 
count of  its  novelty  and  instructiveness  and  the  unremitting  atten- 
tion and  thoughtfulness  of  their  generous  host.  Dr.  Federico 
Darrigue  Faro.  On  the  evening  of  the  16th  they  returned  to  Rio, 
having  also  visited  San  Paulo,  some  three  hundred  miles  distant  from 
Rio  by  railway. 

After  the  admiral's  ball  on  the  26th  of  August  preparations 
were  made  for  a  short  trip  at  sea  for  target-practice  and  evolutions 
to  ascertain  the  tactical  diameter.  The  admiral  gave  orders  to  go 
to  sea  on  the  29th,  but  it  was  stormy,  and  Captain  "Weaver  post- 
poned the  departure  until  the  next  day,  when  we  got  under  way 
and  steamed  out  to  about  six  miles  beyond  Raza  Island.  The 
admiral  and  Lieutenant  Marix  remained  on  shore.  Lieutenant 
Sebree,  assisted  by  Midshipmen  Hood  and  Cahoon,  conducted  the 
experiments  to  ascertain  the  space  in  which  the  ship  would  turn 
under  different  rates  of  steaming  and  amount  of  helm. 

In  the  afternoon  we  beat  to  general  quarters  and  fired  at  a  regu- 
lation target  at  from  one  hundred  to  eighteen  hundred  yards.  Six 
rounds  were  fired  from  each  of  the  broadside  and  pivot  guns. 
There  was  considerable  sea  on  at  the  time,  and  the  ship  rolled 
about  fifteen  degrees  each  way.  The  practice  was  only  tolerable, 
one  or  two  shots  being  unqualifiedly  bad,  but  everything  in  connec- 
tion with  the  battery  was  found  in  good  serviceable  condition.  The 
marines  did  some  very  good  practice  at  small-arms,  completely  rid- 
dling a  box  hung  from  the  foreyard  arm.  The  gun  divisions  followed 
the  marines  at  similar  targets  after  the  great-gun  practice  was  over. 
The  practice  did  not  give  any  results  worth  mentioning,  but  served  to 
familiarize  the  crew  with  the  Hotchkiss  magazine-rifle,  new  model. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  83 

During  the  night  the  ship  lay  oflf  and  on,  and  the  next  morn- 
ing the  experiments  for  ascertaining  the  tactical  diameter  were 
repeated.  The  results  obtained  show  that  the  ship  can  turn  in 
about  three  times  her  length  at  full  speed  with  the  helm  hard 
over.  This  distance  was  obtained  by  observing  the  angular  dis- 
tances of  a  buoy  by  two  observers  at  the  extremities  of  a  base- 
line measured  off  on  board  ship  from  points  on  the  poop  to  the 
topgallant  forecastle.  The  patent  log  was  used  as  a  check  on  the 
work,  and  also  indicated  the  amount  of  head-reach  before  the 
ship  commenced  to  turn  after  the  helm  was  put  over.  We  com- 
pleted the  work  assigned  to  us  about  ten  A.M.,  and  returned  to  our 
former  anchorage  off  Rio. 

Lieutenant-Commander  Anthony  was  ordered  home  on  the 
25th  of  August,  he  having  been  condemned  by  a  medical  survey. 
He  had  been  ailing  for  some  time,  though  his  departure  was  a 
great  surprise  to  all.  We  regretted  his  leaving  exceedingly.  He 
left  a  great  many  friends  behind  on  board  this  ship,  who  would 
have  been  glad  to  been  able  to  have  expressed  their  love  and 
friendship  for  him  by  a  farewell  dinner.  The  wardroom  officers, 
however,  sent  him  an  elegant  coin-silver  cup  for  his  son,  born 
since  we  arrived  on  the  station.  The  cup  is  engraved,  "  To  young 
Mark  Anthony,  from  the  W.  R.  officers  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Brooklyn." 
Among  the  ship's  company  Mr.  Anthony  was  well  liked  and 
esteemed. 

Lieutenant- Commander  C.  H.  Pendleton  was  relieved  by  Lieu- 
tenant-Commander G.  E.  Wingate  on  Friday,  September  1. 

Lieutenant  Sebree  was  detached  on  the  5th  inst.,  with  per- 
mission to  return  to  his  home  at  his  own  expense.  He  recently 
received  the  sad  news  of  the  death  of  his  father,  which  required 
his  presence  at  home.  He  was  the  general  favorite  of  the  ship, 
and  his  departure  was  a  great  loss  to  the  wardroom  officers.  The 
latter  gave  him  a  farewell  dinner,  at  which  were  present  our  min- 
ister. Ex- Governor  Osborne  and  wife,  Mr.  C.  P.  Mackie,  and  the 
Misses  Lane.     The  Misses   Lane  were  left  here  last  July  by 


84  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

American  steamer  "  San  Jose,"  which  put  into  Rio  on  her  voyage 
from  New  York  to  Panama  on  account  of  the  serious  illness  of 
one  of  the  young  ladies.  Fortunately,  she  recovered,  and  during 
their  detention  in  Rio  the  young  ladies  were  entertained  several 
times  by  the  wardroom  officers,  and  consequently  became  very 
well  acquainted  with  them.  They  left  for  New  York  in  the 
steamer  "  Copernicus,"  and  Lieutenant  U.  Sebree  congratulated 
himself  in  having  them  as  passengers  in  the  same  steamer.  Lieu- 
tenant Beehler  thus  became  navigator  in  the  place  of  Lieutenant 
Sebree. 

We  got  under  way  at  six  p.m.  on  Saturday,  September  9,  but  in 
heaving  up  the  port  anchor  it  was  found  to  be  so  foul  that  we 
were  delayed  until  long  after  dark  before  we  could  shape  our 
course  outside  the  harbor.  While  the  forecastlemen  were  busy 
clearing  the  anchor,  the  ship  was  kept  under  way  steaming  around 
the  harbor  arfd  describing  all  sorts  of  tactical  and  other  diameters. 
The  good  old  ship  handled  beautifully  under  these  circumstances, 
and  had  it  been  daylight  her  manoeuvres  would  have  been  greatly 
admired  by  those  who  might  have  witnessed  them,  while  as  it 
was,  the  manner  in  which  the  ship  answered  her  helm  and  steamed 
around  among  the  shipping  in  that  dark  night  served  to  inspire 
those  in  charge  with  every  confidence  in  her  steering  qualities. 

We  experienced  good  weather  all  of  the  next  day,  with  a  mod- 
erate long  swell  from  the  southeast.  At  ten  a.m.  we  made  all 
plain  sail  and  set  the  port  studding-sails  at  eleven.  At  one  p.m. 
we  stopped  steaming,  and  then  continued  under  sail  until  10.30 
P.M.,  Monday,  when  the  wind  failed  and  we  coupled  the  propeller 
and  started  ahead  under  steam  alone.  We  experienced  good 
weather  although  generally  cloudy,  and  continued  under  steam 
and  sail  whenever  the  latter  would  draw  to  advantage,  without 
any  unusual  incident. 

On  the  13th,  while  we  were  going  7.5  knots  under  all  plain 
sail  and  two-thirds  steam-power,  we  found  that  by  stopping  the 
engines  the  speed  was  reduced  to  2.5  knots,  clearly  showing  the 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  85 

wisdom  in  using  steam,  since  it  would  have  taken  us  about  three 
times  as  long  to  have  made  the  trip  had  we  relied  upon  sail  alone, 
and,  as  events  subsequently  proved,  we  would  have  been  exposed 
to  one  of  the  most  violent  storms  of  the  season  had  we  not  have 
arrived  at  our  anchorage  as  soon  as  we  did. 

At  three  o'clock,  Friday  morning,  September  15,  we  sighted  Po- 
lonia  light,  and  steamed  up  the  Plate  Kiver  with  fair  wind  and 
smooth  sea.  At  eleven  A.M.  the  order  was  given  to  clear  ship  for 
action,  and  the  afternoon  was  devoted  to  the  regular  inspection  of 
the  ship  at  quarters.  After  the  inspection  of  the  crew  and  ship 
at  quarters,  which  was  very  thorough  and  complete,  the  engines 
were  stopped,  and  "  all  boats  armed  and  equipped"  were  called 
away,  and  inspected  by  the  admiral  to  see  if  all  their  armament 
and  equipments  were  complete. 

The  inspection  thus  delayed  our  reaching  the  anchorage  at 
Montevideo  until  after  dark,  but  the  sea  being  smooth  and  weather 
propitious  wo  had  no  difficulty  in  steaming  up  to  the  outer  an- 
chorage, where  we  arrived  at  8.30  p.m.  Signals  were  exchanged 
with  the  "  Marion"  as  we  came  in, — Very's  night  signals  being 
used,  which  were  plainly  read  by  both  vessels. 

The  next  morning  the  usual  salutes  were  fired,  and  official  visits 
received  from  the  foreign  men-of-war  in  the  harbor.  At  10.46  we 
got  under  way  again,  and  steamed  about  six  miles  down  the  river 
in  order  to  repeat  the  experiment  for  ascertaining  the  tactical 
diameter.  These  experiments  were  made  under  rather  more 
favorable  conditions  and  gave  very  satisfactory  results.  Upon 
completing  these  we  returned  to  the  city  and  anchored  well  in 
the  harbor,  very  near  the  "  Marion,"  which  had  been  anxiously 
waiting  for  us  for  some  time. 

During  the  next  week  we  began  to  "  enjoy"  pamperos  on  a 
small  scale ;  the  sea  was  very  rough  almost  every  day,  so  much  so 
as  to  make  it  exceedingly  unpleasant  for  boats.  General  liberty 
for  forty-eight  hours  was  given  to  the  crew  in  quarter  watches  at 
a  time  until  all  had  had  that  privilege. 


86  THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

A  naval  general  court-martial  was  convened  on  board  the 
"  Marion"  by  order  of  Admiral  Crosby,  and  disposed  of  all  the 
cases  brought  before  it  during  that  week. 

The  "  Galena"  arrived  at  Montevideo  on  the  28th  of  September, 
twelve  days  from  Rio  de  Janeiro,  having  experienced  a  very  stormy 
passage.    The  "  Galena"  took  the  "  Marion's"  place  on  this  station. 

Admiral  Crosby  and  staflf  inspected  the  "  Galena"  on  Thursday, 
October  4,  after  which  Lieutenants  C.  A.  AUibone  and  J.  F.  Moser 
and  Ensign  V.  S.  Nelson  were  detached  from  that  ship  and  ordered 
to  the  "  Brooklyn."  Lieutenant  AUiboae  was  detailed  as  flag  lieu- 
tenant, while  Lieutenant  Moser  relieved  Lieutenant  Beehler  as 
navigator. 

On  Monday,  October  9,  the  wardroom  officers  gave  an  informal 
reception  to  a  few  friends  in  Montevideo.  There  were  no  elabo- 
rate decorations,  though  the  few  flags  on  the  quarter-deck  and 
flowers  in  the  wardroom  had  a  very  pleasing  effect.  The  afternoon 
was  exceedingly  pleasant.  Mrs.  Crosby,  who  arrived  there  a  week 
after  we  did,  kindly  received  for  the  officers  and  contributed  much 
to  the  success  of  the  occasion.  There  were  about  fifty  guests  in 
all.  The  band  played  very  well,  and  the  dancing  was  kept  up 
with  good  spirit.  Some  of  the  ladies  present  were  great  beauties. 
Indeed,  Montevideo  can  boast  of  more  beautiful  women  than  any 
other  place  outside  of  the  United  States,  and  we  must  confess  we 
know  of  very  few  cities  that  contain  as  many  in  proportion. 

THE  CRUISE   OF   THE  "MARION." 

The  arrival  of  the  "  Galena"  was  hailed  with  great  delight  by 
the  officers  and  crew  of  the  "  Marion,"  who  had  been  anxiously 
waiting  for  orders  home.  It  was  generally  understood  that  the 
"  Marion"  would  only  make  a  short  cruise  when  she  first  arrived 
on  this  station,  and  every  new  delay  only  served  to  disappoint  the 
more,  until  all  hands  on  board  began  to  feel  themselves  very  much 
grieved.  The  "  Marion's"  cruise  was  not  a  very  enviable  one ;  on 
the  way  here  for  the  first  time  she  stopped  at  Rio  during  a  most 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  87 

unhealthy  season  and  contracted  an  epidemic  of  yellow  fever,  by 
which  she  lost  two  of  her  officers,  who  were  buried  on  Flores  Island. 
A  long  quarantine  at  Flores  Island  followed  this  siege,  after  which 
she  was  sent  to  the  Straits  and  Falkland  Islands,  so  as  not  to  be 
exposed  to  a  warm  climate.  The  next  spring,  after  wintering  here 
and  at  Buenos  Ayres,  the  "  Marion"  was  sent  out  to  search  for  the 
bark  "  Trinity"  at  Heard  Island,  but  her  success  there  and  the 
valuable  assistance  rendered  to  the  stranded  ship  "  Poonah"  at 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  have  been  fully  described,  and  need  not  be 
repeated.  She  returned  to  Montevideo  last  May,  and  remained 
until  she  finally  sailed  for  home  at  eight  a.m.,  Saturday,  September 
30.  It  would  be  difficult  to  depict  the  happiness  of  the  "  Marion's" 
people  in  their  final  departure.  When  she  got  under  way  her  crew 
manned  the  rigging,  some  of  them  even  got  up  on  the  trucks,  and 
cheered  lustily,  while  they  threw  their  caps  overboard  in  their  wild 
delight  to  cap  the  climax  of  their  homeward  cry.  The  "  Marion" 
left  the  station  with  the  good  will  and  best  wishes  of  all  who  have 
had  the  good  fortune  to  meet  with  her  people.  The  admiral  in- 
spected her  just  previous  to  her  departure,  and  this  inspection  only 
added  fresh  laurels  to  those  she  had  gained  in  her  South  Atlantic 
cruise. 


88  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

The  Transit  of  Venus  Expedition — Arrival  of  the  Astronomical  Party — De- 
parture and  Passage  to  Patagonia — Arrival  at  Santa  Cruz — Building  the 
Observatory  at  Camp  Brooklyn — Preparations  for  observing  the  Transit — 
Diversions  of  the  Ship's  Company  while  waiting  for  the  Day  of  the  Transit 
— The  Object  of  observing  the  Transit  of  Venus — The  Photographic  Method 
used  by  American  Observers  and  the  Great  Success  obtained — The  Second 
Trip  to  Santa  Cruz^— Rating  Chronometers — Return  to  Montevideo — Ad- 
miral Crosby  relieved  from  the  Command  and  transferred  to  the  Asiatic  Sta- 
tion— Poem  by  William  Anderson,  Seaman,  upon  the  Transit  of  Venus. 

The  admiral  transferred  his  flag  to  the  "  Galena"  on  the  19th 
of  October,  it  being  hauled  down  from  our  mizzen  at  eight  A.M., 
as  it  was  broken  on  the  "  Galena."  Lieutenants  C.  0.  Allibone 
and  A.  Marix,  Midshipmen  Snowden  and  Ripley,  Fleet  Pay-Clerk 
B.  W.  Goldsborough,  the  coxswain  and  four  bargemen,  the  printer 
with  the  press,  the  band,  and  our  saluting  battery  of  two  breech- 
loading  howitzers  with  saluting  powder  were  transferred  at  the  same 
time,  while  we  received  a  twelve-oared  cutter  in  exchange  for  the 
admiral's  barge. 

The  steamer  "  Gallicia"  with  the  Transit  of  Venus  party  on 
board  arrived  that  night,  and  Lieutenant  S.  W.  Very  reported  on 
board  early  the  next  morning.  The  rest  of  the  party  came  in  the 
afternoon  with  an  immense  lighter-load  of  stores  for  the  Pata- 
gonian  observatory.  A  temporary  hurricane-deck  was  built  in  the 
waist  on  both  sides  of  the  smoke-stack,  upon  which  the  boxed 
frame  building  and  the  lumber  were  stowed,  the  telescope  and  deli- 
cate instruments  being  carefully  packed  below.  Lieutenant  Very 
immediately  commenced  taking  the  necessary  observations  for 
rating  his  chronometers,  which  were  secured  to  the  floor  in  the 
admiral's  state-room.     Mr.  Very  occupied  this  room  and  messed 


THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  89 

with  Captain  Weaver.  Mr.  0.  B.  Wheeler,  the  senior  assistant 
astronomer,  occupied  the  room  fitted  for  Lieutenant  Marix  in  the 
admiral's  office ;  Mr.  William  Bell,  chief  photographer,  occupied 
Lieutenant  Allibone's  room  in  the  wardroom ;  while  Mr.  Irwin 
Stanley,  assistant  photographer,  was  obliged  to  sleep  in  a  cot,  all 
three  of  them  being  assigned  to  the  wardroom  mess. 

We  coaled  ship  on  the  3d  and  4th  of  October,  when  we  had 
two  hundred  and  sixty-six  tons  on  hand,  but  as  none  can  be  ob- 
tained at  Santa  Cruz  we  had  to  fill  up  again  and  take  eighty  tons 
additional  on  the  spar-deck,  which  was  received  on  board  in  bags 
and  stowed  on  both  sides  between  the  broadside  guns,  with  narrow 
gangways  amidships.  A  lighter-load  of  brick,  several  barrels  of 
cement,  and  an  additional  lot  of  lumber  were  also  received  on 
board,  so  that  the  decks  gave  the  ship  the  appearance  of  a  freight- 
boat  doing  a  thrifty  business.  The  messes  laid  in  large  supplies 
of  fresh  provisions  and  vegetables,  because  nothing  of  the  kind 
could  be  obtained  at  Santa  Cruz. 

Fires  were  started  early  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  of  Octo- 
ber, and  at  8.57  a.m.  we  got  under  way  and  steamed  out  of  the 
harbor,  making  the  usual  signals  to  the  flag-ship  as  we  left.  In 
heaving  up  our  anchor  the  steam  capstan  was  used  as  heretofore, 
and  as  usual  gave  the  greatest  satisfaction ;  indeed,  we  should  find 
it  a  very  different  matter  in  getting  under  way  if  "  all  hands" 
manned  the  bars  as  in  the  *'  old  navy" ;  the  thick  mud  at  Monte- 
video and  in  the  river  Santa  Cruz  makes  heaving  in  a  large  scope 
of  chain  a  very  arduous  task,  and  we  were  fortunate  in  having 
such  a  powerful  and  reliable  apparatus  to  do  the  work. 

As  we  steamed  out  the  French  flag-ship  "  Pallas"  dipped  her 
admiral's  flag  and  signalled  "  a  pleasant  voyage,"  to  which  we 
signalled  "  thanks"  and  dipped  the  pennant.  Very  little  of  mo- 
ment occurred  during  the  trip  ;  we  experienced  delightful  weather, 
with  bright  moonlight  nights  all  the  way,  the  only  real  unpleasant 
feature  being  the  dirt  from  the  coal  on  deck,  which  was  not  con- 
sumed until  the  day  before  we  arrived  off  Santa  Cruz. 


90  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

The  Transit  of  Venus  party  seemed  to  have  enjoyed  their 
sojourn  on  the  "  Brooklyn"  very  much  ;  they  were  astonished  to 
find  a  ship  so  comfortable  at  sea,  especially  in  these  latitudes. 
Mr.  Bell  amused  himself  in  photographing  the  ship  and  groups 
of  officers  and  men,  Mr.  Stanley  caught  and  stuffed  a  number  of 
Cape  pigeons,  sea-gulls,  etc.,  while  Mr.  Wheeler  revelled  in  loga- 
rithms, parallaxes,  and  other  astronomical  luxuries. 

We  arrived  off  Santa  Cruz  early  in  the  morning  of  the  2d  of 
November,  and  anchored  in  order  to  examine  the  bar  at  low-water. 
The  only  chart  of  the  port  is  from  an  English  survey  in  1834, 
since  when  a  great  many  changes  have  taken  place  in  the  extent 
and  localities  of  the  shoals  formed  by  the  alluvial  deposits  of  the 
river.  The  tide  ebbs  and  flows  at  from  three  to  six  knots  per 
hour,  giving  a  rise  and  fall  of  from  thirty  to  forty  feet.  This 
enabled  us  to  accurately  locate  all  the  dangers  in  the  navigation, 
and  at  noon  we  got  under  way  and  crossed  the  bar  at  high-tide ; 
at  three  p.m.  we  temporarily  anchored  in  the  river  off  Entrance 
Point,  after  which  Lieutenant  Very  went  up  along  the  right  bank 
of  the  river  to  select  the  permanent  anchorage  and  site  for  the 
observatory.  The  next  morning  we  steamed  up  to  the  new  berth 
and  anchored  off  Keel  Point,  about  fifteen  hundred  feet  from  the 
high-water  mark  on  shore,  just  under  the  lee  of  a  high  bluff  north 
of  the  point.  This  berth  was  as  close  to  the  site  selected  as  was 
possible,  the  latter  being  in  the  centre  of  a  small  valley  of  about 
fifty  acres,  open  to  the  river  and  surrounded  by  three  ranges  of 
hills  on  the  other  sides. 

We  commenced  to  land  the  stores  and  camp  equipments  imme- 
diately after  anchoring.  This  proved  very  hard  work,  as  some  of 
the  packages  were  large  and  unwieldy  and  had  to  be  handled  care- 
fully in  landing  on  the  beach,  after  which  all  were  carried  by  hand 
a  distance  of  about  five  hundred  yards,  where  the  buildings  were 
erected.  The  Transit  of  Venus  party  left  the  ship  the  same  day, 
and  from  that  time  lived  at  the  camp  constantly,  accompanied  by 
a  guard  of  four  marines,  consisting  of  Corporal  Powers  and  Privates 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  91 

Hurley,  Brown,  and  Murphy.  Large  working-parties  were  sent 
ashore  daily  for  the  first  two  weeks,  while  the  carpenter's  gang 
lived  on  shore,  and,  with  John  Caspar  as  mason,  erected  all  the 
buildings  and  piers  under  Mr.  Vcry's  direction.  The  Transit 
of  Venus  party  had  their  own  naess-stores,  but  the  rations  of  the 
men  had  to  be  sent  to  them  from  the  ship,  and  the  camp  was  con- 
stantly supplied  with  water  from  our  own  tanks,  which  necessitated 
a  great  deal  of  labor. 

The  country  in  this  vicinity  is  absolutely  a  barren  desert,  there 
being  no  trees  and  very  little  tough  shrubbery.  Guanacos, 
ostriches,  geese,  jacksnipe,  and  an  occasional  fox  were  sought  for 
by  our  sportsmen,  who  secured  a  number  of  the  geese  and  snipe, 
but  were  not  generally  successful  hunting  guanaco,  though  Mr, 
Smith  killed  two  just  before  we  sailed.  The  natives  hunt  them 
on  horseback  with  "  bolas,"  which  are  round  stones  or  pieces  of 
lead  on  the  end  of  three  thongs,  six  or  eight  feet  long,  united  at 
a  common  centre,  and  thrown  to  entangle  the  legs.  Considerable 
skill  is  required  to  handle  the  "  bolas,"  and  dogs  are  indispensable, 
a  species  of  Scotch  greyhound  being  used  by  the  natives,  as  both 
the  guanacos  and  ostriches  are  very  fleet. 

Captain  Weaver  took  a  party  of  officers  in  the  steam-launch  to 
Weddell's  BluflF,  nine  miles  up  the  river,  where  they  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  the  French  observatory,  which  was  located  there 
six  weeks  before  our  arrival.  They  found  but  two  habitations  in 
that  part  of  the  river,  one  at  a  ranch  five  miles  from  our  anchor- 
age and  the  other  at  the  bluflf.  The  former  lies  in  a  valley  near  a 
small  creek,  and  its  owner  has  a  number  of  horses  and  dogs,  which 
were  hired  from  time  to  time  by  our  hunters.  He  also  kept  the 
messes  supplied  with  guanaco-meat  at  three  cents  a  pound.  This 
was  once  served  out  to  the  crew.  The  men,  however,  as  a  rule, 
did  not  relish  it,  chiefly  because  they  had  ho  means  of  preparing 
it  properly,  but  the  officers  thought  it  very  good.  The  guanaco 
may  be  generally  described  as  having  the  head  of  a  camel,  the 
body  of  a  deer,  the  wool  of  a  sheep,  and  the  neigh  of  a  horse. 


92  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

The  wool  is  of  a  reddish  brown,  intermixed  with  white  in  certain 
parts  of  the  body.  They  live  in  immense  herds  all  over  Pata- 
gonia ;  they  are  shy  and  very  vigilant,  and  when  irritated  they 
eject  the  contents  of  their  mouth,  which  is  very  disagreeable, 
upon  their  assailant.  They  belong  to  the  camel  family,  and  have 
extra  water-cells  in  their  stomachs,  though  they  have  no  hump  on 
the  back.  The  guanaco  is  probably  the  wild  variety  of  the 
domesticated  Peruvian  llama.  They  often  came  near  the  camp, 
and  on  one  occasion  a  herd  of  six  came  down  to  the  edge  of  the 
bluff  opposite  the  anchorage  and  offered  a  good  target  with  a  rifle 
from  our  topgallant  forecastle. 

A  party  of  guanaco-hunters  started  out  once  after  devoting  a 
week  to  constructing  stirrups,  and  came  back  very  much  sooner 
than  they  were  expected.  It  appears  that  when  they  finally  got 
within  range  of  a  herd  one  of  their  party  dismounted  to  fire,  but 
as  he  did  this  his  horse  shook  off  the  contrivance  substituted  for 
a  bridle  and  deliberately  started  for  the  ranch,  while  the  guanacos 
kicked  up  their  hind  legs  and  started  for  Sandy  Point  like  a 
lightning-express  train. 

The  ship's  company  had  excellent  sport  in  hauling  the  seine ; 
seining- parties  left  the  ship  once  or  twice  a  week,  and  almost 
always  returned  with  several  hundred  pounds  of  fish,  mostly  an 
overgrown  species  of  sea-mullet,  with  a  few  smelt.  These  fish 
were  very  nice,  especially  when  served  as  a  chowder.  The  seine 
was  usually  hauled  at  Sea  Lion  Island,  which  is  resorted  to  by 
thousands  of  gulls  and  other  variety  of  sea-birds.  Several  young 
penguins  were  captured  there.  The  island  is  literally  covered 
with  birds'  nests,  and  all  kinds  of  curiously-shaped  and  spotted 
eggs  were  brought  on  board.  This  island  is  in  the  centre  of  the 
river,  and  was  formed  by  the  alluvial  deposits ;  skeletons  of  seals 
and  sea-elephants  were  found,  though  none  of  the  latter  were  seen 
alive  while  we  were  there. 

The  "  American  Encyclopaedia"  describes  the  sea-lion  or  sea- 
elephant  as  the  largest  of  the  seal  species.     They  are  about  half 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  93 

the  size  of  a  Greenland  whale,  and  much  larger  than  the  largest 
elephants.  The  hair  is  coarse,  but  the  thick  skin  makes  very  fine 
harness.  A  single  animal  yields  from  fourteen  to  fifteen  barrels 
of  blubber,  the  oil  from  which  is  clear,  has  no  bad  odor  or  taste, 
and  burns  slowly  and  without  smoke.  The  salted  tongues  are 
highly  esteemed  for  food.  They  go  as  far  north  as  the  Plate 
River  in  winter,  and  they  prefer  sandy  and  desert  beaches,  espe- 
cially near  fresh  water,  so  that  Sea-Lion  Island  ought  to  be  their 
favorite  resort.  The  name  of  sea-elephant  comes  from  a  short 
snout,  which  they  can  elongate  about  one  foot  similar  to  an  ele- 
phant's  trunk.  They  never  attack  man  unless  brutally  treated, 
and  indiscriminate  slaughter  has  driven  them  from  their  former 
haunts.  No  pumas  made  their  appearance  near  our  camp,  and 
but  few  of  the  ostriches  were  seen,  though  several  young  ones 
were  captured  and  brought  on  board.  Ostrich-eggs  were  often 
eaten  in  the  difi'erent  messes,  though  not  by  any  means  abundant. 

After  the  camp  was  duly  pitched,  the  ship's  company  settled 
down  to  their  routine  drills  and  put  the  ship  in  a  more  efficient 
condition  as  a  man-of-war.  The  battery  was  thoroughly  over- 
hauled and  the  ship  renovated  throughout.  The  high  winds  were 
exceedingly  disagreeable,  calms  were  quite  exceptional,  and  the 
winds  blew  in  gales  almost  all  the  time,  with  velocities  ranging 
from  thirty  to  sixty  miles  per  hour. 

Wednesday,  November  29,  the  Argentine  gunboat  "  Uruguay" 
arrived  from  Montevideo  with  a  large  mail  for  us,  giving  us  spe- 
cial cause  for  celebrating  Thanksgiving  the  next  day,  the  last 
Thursday  in  November.  This  mail  brought  us  news  from  home 
up  to  the  latter  part  of  September.  The  "  Uruguay"  was  on  spe- 
cial duty  to  visit  all  the  stations  of  parties  observing  the  transit 
of  Venus  and  to  offer  the  services  of  the  Argentine  government. 
She  visited  the  stations  at  Carmen  and  Chupat  on  the  way,  and 
after  visiting  the  French  observatory  at  Weddell's  Bluff  she  went 
to  Sandy  Point,  where  there  were  four  other  observatories. 

Thanksgiving  was  specially  celebrated  by  a  performance  by  the 

7 


94  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

"  Brooklyn"  minstrel  troupe,  which  was  quite  a  creditable  aflPair 
considering  the  difficulties  with  which  the  troupe  had  to  contend. 
The  next  day  we  had  target-practice  with  great  guns,  one  round 
being  fired  in  broadside.  The  practice  was  very  good.  The  quar- 
terly target-practice  with  rifles  took  place  the  previous  week  at  a 
range  marked  ofif  along  the  beach  under  the  bluff. 

The  steamer  "  Uruguay"  came  down  from  up  the  river  Satur- 
day evening  following  and  kindly  took  a  mail  for  us  to  Sandy 
Point.  The  first  half  of  the  following  week  we  enjoyed  pleasant 
weather  without  any  furious  winds.  This  was  taken  advantage  of  by 
drills,  all  boats  being  called  away  armed  and  equipped  for  distant 
service  on  December  5. 

When  the  sun  rose,  at  3.45  a.m.,  on  the  morning  of  the  6th  of 
December  the  sky  was  completely  overcast,  but  fortunately  for  our 
party  it  cleared  off  about  eight  a.m.,  and  remained  perfectly  clear 
all  day.  The  party  at  the  camp  were  successful  iu  all  the  obser- 
vations of  the  contacts,  and  secured  two  hundred  and  twenty-four 
photographs  of  the  sun  while  Venus  was  crossing.  All  hands 
were  interested  in  observing  the  sun.  Spy-glasses  were  arranged 
with  smoked  object-glasses,  and  almost  all  the  broken  glass  in  the 
ship  was  smoked  and  used  to  see  Venus  on  the  sun.  Among  the 
curious  means  devised  was  that  of  a  bottle  with  its  bottom  smoked. 
From  looking  through  this  the  marines  claimed  extraordinary 
results. 

During  the  rest  of  our  stay  the  weather  was  very  inclement ;  it 
blew  in  strong  gales,  and  was  generally  cold  and  disagreeable. 
The  first  few  days  in  December  were  the  pleasantest  we  experi- 
enced, while  the  day  of  the  transit  was  the  clearest  day  of  all. 
Sunday,  December  10,  the  ship  got  adrift  from  the  anchorage.  The 
port  sheet-anchor  promptly  brought  the  ship  up,  and  when  the  two 
bowers  were  weighed  they  were  found  to  be  badly  foul  of  each 
other.  Both  anchors  were  cleared  during  the  day.  We  had  a 
great  deal  of  trouble  with  the  cable  during  the  rest  of  that  week, 
the  new  berth  not  being  as  good  an  anchorage  as  that  selected. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  95 

The  boats  had  considerable  difficulty  in  stemming  the  strong  tides, 
and  on  one  occasion  the  whale-boat  was  capsized  at  the  gangway  ; 
John  Port  narrowly  escaped  drowning,  but  was  saved  by  a  rope 
timely  thrown  to  him  from  the  poop. 

The  Argentine  steamer  "  Uruguay"  returned  from  Sandy  Point 
December  10,  having  sent  our  mail  from  there.  The  "  Hartford" 
had  arrived  there  from  Montevideo,  and  was  then  waiting  for  coal 
to  arrive  from  Falkland  Islands.  The  French  gunboat  "  Volage" 
sailed  December  12,  not  to  return.  The  French  party  established 
the  site  of  their  observatory  by  lunar  occultations  previous  to  our 
arrival,  but  we  had  no  such  opportunity. 

The  Transit  of  Venus  party  came  on  board  at  two  a.m.,  Decem- 
ber 16,  when  we  got  under  way  and  steamed  out  of  the  harbor, 
using  the  north  channel  instead  of  the  one  laid  down  in  the  chart. 
The  tents  and  instruments  had  been  sent  off  as  soon  as  the  party 
were  through  with  them,  but  the  frame  houses  were  all  left  stand- 
ing. The  pyramid  built  by  our  carpenter's  mate,  Henry  Pharoah, 
and  used  for  the  equatorial  house,  stood  out  like  an  Egyptian 
monument  to  commemorate  the  success  of  our  expedition. 

Our  good  fortune  stood  by  us  as  usual,  and  we  had  delightful 
weather  nearly  all  the  return  passage.  "We  steamed  nearly  all  the 
time,  making  sail  whenever  it  would  draw.  When  we  arrived  in 
the  river  Plate  early  Saturday  morning,  23d  instant,  we  experi- 
enced a  little  disagreeable  weather,  with  rain  and  wind  and  moder- 
ately rough  sea,  but  the  good  old  ship  went  along  beautifully,  and 
arrived  at  the  anchorage  off  Montevideo  at  sunset  the  same  day. 
The  storm  cleared  off  just  as  we  anchored,  and  the  setting  sun 
shone  out  from  under  the  black  clouds  with  beautiful  effect.  A 
magnificent  rainbow  arched  the  city,  while  the  reflected  sunlight 
from  the  windows  and  dome  of  the  cathedral  was  almost  as  if  a 
brilliant  illumination  to  welcome  us  back  again.  We  found  the 
"  Galena"  at  anchor,  having  just  returned  from  target-practice. 
An  immense  mail  was  sent  off  by  Mr.  Evans,  and  all  hands  were 
absorbed  in  the  news  from  home.     Messrs.  Bell  and  Stanley  lefl 


96  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

the  ship  immediately  afler  our  arrival,  and  proceeded  home  by 
the  next  steamer.  Messrs.  Very  and  Wheeler  remained,  and 
went  back  with  us  to  Santa  Cruz  about  January  3. 

Christmas-day  was  hardly  noticed  on  board  ship,  except  in  the 
messes,  where  the  fresh  provisions  were  heartily  enjoyed,  especially 
since  we  had  been  deprived  of  them  so  long.  Lieutenant  E.  W. 
"Watson  reported  on  board  for  duty  as  navigator,  relieving  Lieu- 
tenant Moser,  who,  with  Ensign  V.  S.  Nelson,  went  back  to  the 
"  Galena." 

THE  TRANSIT  OF  VENUS. 

The  object  of  the  observations  of  Venus  crossing  the  sun's  disc 
is  to  find  the  distance  of  the  sun  from  the  earth,  which  distance 
then  serves  as  a  base-line  by  which  to  measure-distances  in  the 
heavens.  To  understand  the  methods  it  will  be  necessary  to  recall 
some  rudimentary  principles:  if  we  divide  a  semicircle  by  its 
radius  we  get  a  quotient  of  3.1416.  A  semicircle  contains  one 
hundred  and  eighty  degrees,  which,  when  divided  by  3.1416,  will 
give  57.295.  Now,  if  we  have  a  ball  one  foot  in  diameter,  and 
place  it  at  such  distance  from  us  that  its  angular  diameter  by  a 
sextant  is  one  degree,  we  know  that  the  ball  is  a  little  over  fifty- 
seven  and  one-quarter  feet  from  us.  If  the  ball  is  moved  until  it 
measures  one  minute  it  will  be  sixty  times  farther  ofi^,  or  34371 
feet,  and  if  moved  to  measure  one  second,  206,264|  feet,  or  about 
thirty-nine  miles.  The  sun's  angular  diameter  measures  on  a  sex- 
tant thirty-two  minutes,  and  if  we  divide  the  distance  of  a  ball 
(one  foot  in  diameter)  when  its  angular  diameter  measures  one 
minute,  or  34371  feet,  by  32,  we  get  107.4,  which  shows  us  that 
the  distance  of  the  sun  is  107.4  times  its  actual  diameter.  But 
this  gives  no  clue  to  the  distance  in  miles,  because  we  don't  know 
the  diameter  of  the  sun  in  miles.  The  only  way,  then,  to 
find  this  diameter  is  to  find  how  many  miles  an  angle  of  ooe 
minute  measures  at  the  sun's  distance,  and  this  is  accomplished  by 
observing  the  transit  of  a  planet  across  the  sun. 

The  earth's  diameter  is  known  within  two  hundred  feet,  and  if 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  97 

we  know  the  earth's  angular  diameter  its  distance  could  be  very 
readily  found.  Suppose,  then,  S  to  be  a  wall,  V  a  ball,  and  that 
there  are  two  observers  at  E  and  A  with  telescopes. 


or 


-••■  y 


•••.., 
'*••••... 


The  observer  at  E  looks  toward  V,  and  it  appears  to  him  to  be 
at  the  lower  point  of  S  on  the  wall,  while  the  other  observer  sees 
it  at  the  upper  end  of  S.  The  distance  between  the  observers  is 
known,  and  if  the  diagram  represents  the  sun,  Venus,  and  two 
points  on  the  earth,  the  relative  distance  of  Venus  from  the  sun 
and  earth  can  be  used  to  find  the  actual  value  of  the  earth's  an- 
gular diameter  at  the  sun,  or  the  parallax  of  the  sun.  The  rela- 
tive distances  of  the  planets  from  the  sun  have  been  known  for 
two  centuries,  from  which  we  find  that  the  distance  from  Venua 
to  the  sun  is  2.61  times  greater  than  the  distance  from  Venus  to 
the  earth  when  Venus  is  between  the  sun  and  the  earth. 

The  last  transit  occurred  in  1874,  from  which  the  angular  value 
of  S  was  found  to  be  22.96  seconds  of  arc,  which  divided  by  2.61 
gives  8.8  seconds,  the  long-sought-for  value  of  the  sun's  parallax. 
This  brief  account,  however,  does  not  include  the  refinements  ne- 
cessary to  give  anything  like  accuracy.  The  observers  at  E  and  A 
should  be  exactly  at  opposite  points  on  the  mean  equatorial  diameter 
of  the  earth,  the  motions  of  the  earth  and  Venus  should  be  allowed 
for,  and  a  host  of  mathematical  calculations  made  for  refraction, 
heat,  etc. 

Knowing  the  sun's  parallax  to  be  about  8.8  seconds,  the  distance 
of  the  sun  is  computed  by  dividing  the  mean  equatorial  radius  of 
the  earth, — 3962.72  miles  by  the  sine  of  8.8  seconds,  which  gives 
92,882,917  miles  as  the  distance  of  the  sun  from  the  earth. 
People  naturally  ask,  where  is  the  use  of  sending  expeditions  to 


96  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

observe  the  transit,  when  the  sun's  parallax  is  already  known  ?  The 
answer  is  that  the  precise  value  is  still  uncertain ;  it  is  not  known 
within  a  tenth  of  a  second  exactly.  The  variations  in  the  heat 
and  refraction  of  the  light  cause  this  uncertainty,  while  a  hundredth 
of  a  second  makes  a  difference  of  over  one  hundred  thousand  miles 
in  the  computed  distance  of  the  sun. 

The  usual  method  of  observing  the  transit  is  to  note  the  time 
when  Venus  appears  to  touch  the  edge  of  the  sun,  then  to  watch 
when  it  just  appears  wholly  on  the  sun,  and  after  that  to  wait 
about  five  hours  until  it  appears  on  the  other  edge,  and  also  as  it 
ceases  to  be  in  contact.  These  four  contacts  constitute  the  observa- 
tions by  the  equatorial  telescope,  but  all  the  United  States  parties 
place  their  main  dependence  upon  photographs  of  Venus  as  it 
crosses  the  sun's  disc.  In  1874  the  photographic  results  obtained 
by  the  European  parties  were  conflicting,  so  that  they  rely  more 
on  the  observations  of  the  contacts,  but  great  refinement  has  been 
introduced  into  the  photographic  methods,  and  we  believe  our 
results  will  be  the  best. 

The  United  States  Naval  Observatory  sent  out  eight  different 
parties.  One  party  each  at  Washington,  Cedar  Keys,  Florida, 
San  Antonio,  Texas,  Fort  Thome,  New  Mexico,  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  Santiago,  Chili,  New  Zealand,  and  Patagonia.  All  these 
parties  were  equipped  with  exactly  similar  apparatus,  and  being 
scattered  and  so  far  apart,  it  is  almost  certain  that  many  of  the 
observers  had  clear  weather  and  good  observations.  "  Camp 
Brooklyn"  was  the  only  one  which  was  not  in  telegraphic  communi- 
cation with  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  therefore  the  observations  to 
establish  the  exact  site  of  the  observatory  had  to  be  made  with  the 
greatest  nicety. 

The  camp  consisted  of  a  number  of  tents  and  houses  arranged 
with  regular  order  and  surrounded  by  a  ditch.  The  equatorial 
house  occupied  the  southeast  comer.  It  was  shaped  like  a 
pyramid,  and  contained  a  large  five-inch  equatorial  telescope  with 
driving  clock-work  attachment.     A  small   frame   building  con- 


c         > 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  99 

tained  the  transit  instruments,  which  were  used  to  determine  the 
latitude  and  longitude  of  the  observatory.  This  also  contained  a 
chronograph,  which  was  in  electric  communication  with  the  equa- 
torial house,  chronometer  room,  and  the  shutter  of  the  photo- 
graphic house.  This  chronograph  marked  the  time  of  each  and 
every  observation,  and  also  of  each  photograph.  The  chronometer 
house  was  ten  yards  west  of  the  transit  room.  This  house  was, 
as  its  name  implies,  the  building  for  the  chronometers,  and  also 
for  a  pendulum  ;  this  last,  however,  was  not  an  essential  part  of  the 
Transit  of  Venus  observations,  but  for  the  Coast  Survey  service. 

There  were  nine  chronometers  in  use ;  three  of  them  were  in 
electric  connection  as  break-circuit  chronometers.  One  being  regu- 
lated to  keep  sidereal  time  of  Washington,  one  of  Greenwich,  and 
one  of  Greenwich  mean  time.  Mr.  Very  had  one  chronometer 
which  had  no  compensation,  and  which  therefore  showed  all  the 
effects  of  change  in  temperature.  This  served  as  a  check  upon 
the  other  chronometers,  and  exemplifies  the  nature  of  the  exact 
accuracy  required  for  these  observations. 

The  photo-heliograph  apparatus  was  in  the  centre  of  the  camp. 
Its  piers  were  forty  feet  apart,  and  were  in  line  with  the  pier  in 
the  transit  house.  The  photographic  house  was  the  dark  camera 
of  the  ordinary  photographic  apparatus.  The  lenses  instead  of 
being  in  a  small  tube  were,  in  this  case,  in  a  tube  forty  feet  long. 
This  tube  was  covered  with  a  roof,  and  connected  the  house  with 
the  pier  of  the  heliostat.  The  heliostat  is  simply  a  mirror  bo 
arranged  by  clock-work  as  to  throw  an  image  of  the  sun  directly 
in  the  tube.  The  tube  was  horizontal,  and  had  a  measuring  rod 
with  thermometers  attached  in  order  to  show  all  effects  of  expansion 
by  heat,  so  as  to  determine  the  exact  distance  of  the  mirror  from  the 
negative  plate.  The  clock-work  cannot  be  made  to  follow  the  sun's 
apparent  motion  at  all  times,  so  that  one  of  the  party  had  to  attend 
and  keep  the  image  in  the  tube  by  means  of  small  tangent  screws. 
The  mirror  was  not  silvered,  but  was  simply  a  highly-polished  glass 
specially  constructed  for  the  purpose. 


100  THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

The  image  of  the  sun  was  thus  thrown  into  the  tube  very  much 
like  a  small  boy  used  to  make  the  sun  shine  in  the  teacher's  eyes 
at  school  by  turning  a  bright  piece  of  tin  at  different  angles.  This 
spot  of  light  shines  on  the  object-glass  and  through  a  plate  with 
carefully-ruled  linos ;  these  lines  cross  at  right  angles  and  cause 
the  photograph  to  be  divided  into  a  number  of  small  squares,  the 
centre  square  being  marked  with  a  cross.  The  negative  plate  was 
fitted  into  a  holder  on  an  iron  pier  firmly  built  on  the  ground. 
The  bottom  of  the  tube  was  provided  with  a  slide,  which  moved 
in  front  of  the  plate  and  closed  the  bottom  of  the  tube.  The 
slide  met  an  electric  connection  when  pushed  either  way  ;  this  con- 
nected with  the  chronograph,  and  thus  marked  the  exact  instant 
each  photograph  was  taken.  This  enabled  them  to  take  one  picture 
in  a  minute  and  a  half. 

The  rest  of  the  camp  consisted  of  rows  of  tents,  five  tents 
being  in  a  row  in  rear  of  the  chronometer  house^  and  used  as 
sleeping  quarters  for  the  party  and  the  guard  of  marines.  One 
tent  was  used  for  a  storehouse  directly  in  rear  of  the  photographic 
house,  while  the  row  in  rear  of  the  equatorial  house  was  of  four 
tents,  used  for  dining-room  and  kitchen  and  tents  for  magnetic 
observations.  Mr.  Very  kindly  explained  all  the  details  of  the 
observatory,  many  of  which  are  omitted  here  for  want  of  space. 

On  the  day  of  the  transit  Mr.  0.  B.  Wheeler  had  a  three-and- 
a-half  inch  telescope  on  a  tripod  outside  of  the  transit  house  with 
which  he  observed  the  contacts,  while  Mr.  Very  observed  with 
the  larger  telescope  in  the  equatorial  house.  Messrs.  Very  and 
Wheeler  took  their  posts  at  the  telescopes  five  minutes  before  the 
computed  time  of  the  first  contact.  This  occurred  at  twenty-one 
minutes  after  nine  A.M.,  December  6.  The  first  contact  is  always 
more  or  less  doubtful,  since  it  is  difficult  to  determine  the  exact 
instant  when  an  almost  invisible  body  touches  an  intensely  bright 
one.  The  observers  noted  the  time  by  their  chronometers  when 
they  believed  the  sun  and  Venus  to  be  in  actual  contact.  They 
then  waited  twenty  minutes,  until  9.41,  when  Venus  was  entirely 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  101 

on  the  sun  with  its  edge  touching.  At  ten  a.m.  all  four  of  the 
party  went  to  the  photo-heliographic  apparatus,  Mr.  Wheeler 
being  at  the  mirror  to  keep  the  sun  in  the  tube.  Mr.  Very  was 
at  the  shutter  inside  the  dark  photographic  house  with  Messrs. 
Bell  and  Stanley,  who  handled  the  plates  as  the  photographs  of 
the  sun  were  taken. 

The  position  of  Venus  on  the  sun  was  thus  accurately  photo- 
graphed during  the  time  it  was  wholly  on  the  disc.  These  photo- 
graphs of  the  sun  are  four  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter,  on 
which  Venus  appears  like  a  small  ball  a  little  over  an  eighth  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  and  each  picture  is  divided  into  sixty-four  squares 
to  facilitate  the  measurement  of  the  distance  traversed  by  Venus 
in  transit.  It  is  manifest  that  if  each  photograph  is  true,  and  if 
the  exact  instant  of  time  be  accurately  recorded,  the  whole  period 
of  transit  can  be  perfectly  recorded.  They  took  in  all  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-four  pictures,  and  stopped  just  before  Venus  came 
to  the  other  edge  of  the  sun.  Mr.  Very  and  Mr.  Wheeler  re- 
sumed their  posts  at  the  telescopes  at  3.15  p.m.,  and  observed  the 
third  contact  with  the  edge  of  the  sun  at  3.19,  and  the  last  con- 
tact at  3.39  P.M. 

Messrs.  Very  and  Wheeler  diflfer  very  slightly  in  the  observed 
times  of  the  contacts.  Each  observer  has  his  personal  error,  the 
amount  of  which  must  be  ascertained  by  experiments  with  an  arti- 
ficial transit  at  the  Naval  Observatory  at  Washington.  This  con- 
sists in  observing  contacts  of  a  black  ball  moved  by  machinery 
across  a  very  bright  screen.  The  observations  to  determine  the 
latitude  and  longitude  of  the  observatory  were  then  continued 
until  December  16,  when  the  party  returned  on  board  the  "  Brook- 
lyn" and  took  passage  to  Montevideo,  where  more  observations 
were  taken  to  definitely  find  the  exact  position  of  "  Camp  Brook- 
lyn." 

After  the  second  trip  to  "  Camp  Brooklyn"  the  party  went  to 
Washington  to  continue  their  computations  upon  the  photographs. 
These  were  packed  in  three  diflFerent  packages,  each  of  which  had 


102  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

a  full  account  of  the  observations.  Each  package  was  sent  to 
Washington  separately  so  that  there  should  be  less  risk  of  losing 
all  in  case  of  accident. 

The  transit  of  Venus  occurs  alternately  in  eight  and  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty-two  years.  The  next  transit  will  be  in 
2004.  The  first  observations  of  the  transit  in  modern  times  were 
made  in  1761,  when  England  and  France  both  sent  observers 
abroad,  among  whom  Le  Oentil,  a  French  astronomer,  bad  a  very 
unfortunate  experience.  He  went  to  the  East  Indies  in  a  French 
naval  vessel,  and  finding  the  port  he  intended  to  go  to  in  posses- 
sion of  the  English,  then  at  war  with  France,  he  sailed  for  another 
port,  but  was  at  sea  the  day  of  the  transit.  Ho  then  determined 
to  wait  for  the  next  transit,  in  1769,  supporting  himself  there  in 
business  and  making  everything  ready  for  his  observations.  At 
length  the  long-looked-for  day  arrived  and  he  was  all  prepared  to 
make  the  observations.  The  sun  rose  clear,  but  just  before  the 
time  the  transit  began  a  sudden  storm  arose,  the  sky  became 
cloudy,  and  before  it  cleared  again  the  transit  was  over.  It  was 
two  weeks  before  the  unfortunate  astronomer  could  hold  a  pen  to 
write  his  disappointment  to  his  friends  at  Paris. 

The  commencement  of  the  new  year  found  us  making  prepara- 
tions for  the  second  trip  to  Santa  Cruz.  Stores  were  received  in 
different  departments,  and  the  bunkers  filled  with  coal,  besides 
eighty-three  tons  in  bags  on  deck  between  the  guns. 

Lieutenant  H.  0.  Handy,  who  had  been  ill  for  several  months, 
was  recommended  by  a  board  of  medical  officers  to  remain  in 
Montevideo,  and  was  transferred  to  the  British  hospital  for  treat- 
ment during  our  absence.  Master  A.  M.  Knight  was  then  tem- 
porarily transferred  from  the  '*  Galena"  to  take  his  place  and  assist 
the  three  remaining  watch  officers. 

We  started  fires  under  four  boilers  at  one  p.m.  January  3,  and 
got  under  way  at  5.20  p.m.  the  same  day,  and  started  out  under 
steam.     In  heaving  up  our  port  anchor  a  piece  of  a  sheet  of 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  103 

copper  was  found  on  the  chain,  evidently  torn  oflF  from  the  ship's 
bottom.  This  was  at  first  supposed  to  have  been  torn  from  some 
place  near  the  water-line,  but  its  locality  could  not  be  seen,  even 
when  the  ship  pitched  considerably  during  a  subsequent  gale. 

We  experienced  good  weather  for  the  first  five  days  of  the 
passage,  and  we  thought  we  would  make  an  exceptionally  good 
run,  but  head-winds,  coupled  with  a  moderate  sea,  reduced  our 
speed  considerably,  though  we  continued  on  comfortably  until  one 
▲.M.  of  January  10,  when  wo  got  a  regular  sou'wester.  The  sea 
became  very  rough,  and  it  blew  so  hard  that  we  were  obliged  to 
stop  the  engines  and  lay  to  under  close-reefed  main-topsail,  fore 
storm-staysail,  and  storm-mizzcn,  with  which  the  ship  behaved 
very  nicely. 

Land  was  sighted  early  in  the  morning,  but  we  needed  no 
beacons  to  designate  our  whereabouts.  The  furious  wind  was  an 
old  Santa  Cruz  acquaintance,  and  it  seemed  as  if  she  had  only 
come  out  to  meet  us  at  the  door.  The  next  day,  however,  the 
wind  and  sea  moderated,  and  we  then  stood  in  through  the  north 
channel,  crossed  the  bar,  and  came  to  anchor  off  Keel  Point,  in 
Santa  Cruz  River,  at  12.30  A.M.,  January  11.  We  found  the 
frame  buildings  of  "  Camp  Brooklyn"  still  standing,  and  made 
use  of  the  equatorial  house  as  one  of  the  bearings  of  our  anchor- 
age. Lieutenant  Very  and  Mr.  Wheeler  went  ashore  in  the  after- 
noon, and  took  their  instruments  for  making  the  magnetic  observa- 
tions with  them,  and  at  the  same  time  commenced  their  series  of 
observations  for  rating  the  chronometers. 

We  found  no  change  in  the  general  appearance  of  the  vicinity. 
Guanacos  were  not  as  plentiful,  owing  to  the  drought,  and  officers 
and  men  took  very  little  interest  in  anything  except  the  ship. 
Only  one  seining-party  left  the  ship,  but  they  only  caught  a  few 
smelt  and  some  mullet ;  the  latter,  however,  were  in  much  better 
condition  than  during  our  first  visit.  We  had  boat  drills  and  tar- 
get-practice with  small- arms  on  the  beach,  but,  as  the  chronometers 
were  not  taken  ashore  this  time,  we  did  not  have  great-gun  target- 


104  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

practice.  Great-gun  filing  is  not  likely  to  affect  chronometers  if 
ordinary  precautions  are  taken,  but  the  importance  of  having  no 
shadow  of  doubt  upon  the  results  of  our  expedition  necessitated 
deferring  everything  to  their  accuracy. 

Friday,  January  12,  the  Brazilian  corvette  "  Parnahyba"  came 
in  and  anchored  near  us.  She  had  the  Brazilian  Transit  of  Venus 
party  on  board,  in  charge  of  Mr.  Cruls,  the  celebrated  Brazilian 
astronomer,  from  whom  Cruls's  comet  is  named. 

The  Brazilians  had  two  stations  in  the  straits,  one  at  Sandy 
Point  and  the  other  on  Santa  Marta  Island,  near  the  second  nar- 
rows. They  succeeded  in  observing  all  four  contacts,  but  did  not 
use  the  photographic  methods.  Their  expedition  is  coupled  with 
a  scienti6c  exploration  of  the  coast  of  Patagonia.  This  duty  was 
the  occasion  of  the  "  Parnahyba's"  going  up  to  Weddell's  Bluff, 
whence  she  sailed  for  other  Patagonian  ports  on  the  18th  of  Jan- 
uary. 

The  time  interval  for  rating  chronometers  b  ten  days,  but  the 
weather  was  exceedingly  disagreeable.  It  stormed  so  constantly 
and  was  so  generally  overcast  with  rain,  hail,  and  snow,  that  we 
were  detained  until  January  27.  The  bad  weather  laid  up  nearly 
all  the  officers  in  the  wardroom.  All  of  them  suffered  more  or  less 
with  severe  colds,  and  at  one  time  there  was  only  one  watch  officer 
able  to  do  duty.  The  men  did  not  seem  to  suffer  so  much,  but 
colds  were  quite  common,  and  all  were  heartily  glad  to  get  away. 

The  buildings  at  "  Camp  Brooklyn"  were  abandoned,  not  being 
worth  transportation  to  the  United  States,  and  it  is  probable  that 
Coronell,  the  squatter  at  the  ranch  above  Keel  Point,  will  convert 
them  into  comparatively  palatial  mansions. 

Monday,  January  22,  the  French  gunboat  "  Volage"  came  into 
the  harbor  and  brought  us  our  mail  from  Montevideo.  The 
"  Volage"  was  on  her  way  to  Tahiti,  and  stopped  outside  to  make 
some  additional  surveys  upon  the  outer  bar.  She  came  in  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  bringing  us  our  mail,  an  act  of  courtesy  in  keeping 
with  the  usual  politeness  of  the  French  people. 


THE   CRUISE  OF   THE  BROOKLYN.  105 

Captain  Weaver  took  Mr.  Richmond  on  board  at  Santa  Cruz  as 
a  passenger  in  the  cabin  to  Montevideo.  Mr.  Richmond  is  a  citi- 
zen of  Buenos  Ayres,  and  was  sent  to  Santa  Cruz  by  the  Argen- 
tine government  with  provisions  for  the  relief  of  the  people  at  the 
Argentine  subprefecture,  which  he  brought  to  Santa  Cruz  in  the 
"  Parnahyba"  from  Sandy  Point.  Mr.  Richmond  gave  rather  a 
glowing  account  of  the  productions  of  the  soil  on  the  islands  in 
the  river,  and  of  large  portions  of  Patagonia  hitherto  considered 
barren.  He  reported  the  fisheries  as  being  very  valuable,  and  that 
some  portions  of  the  coast  are  rich  in  bird  guano.  Space  will  not 
permit  a  description  of  the  country  and  the  Indians  who  inhabit  it, 
but  those  who  wish  information  about  the  resources  of  Patagonia 
are  referred  to  Muster's  "  At  Home  with  the  Patagonians,"  which 
is  considered  by  far  the  best  on  the  subject. 

The  weather  finally  cleared  on  January  26,  and  enabled  Mr. 
Very  to  complete  his  observations,  and  there  being  no  further 
cause  for  us  to  remain,  we  got  under  way  at  eleven  a.m.,  Satur- 
day, January  27,  and  gladly  bade  farewell  to  "  Camp  Brooklyn" 
without  any  desire  to  visit  the  place  again.  Though  our  experi- 
ence at  Santa  Cruz  was  far  from  pleasant,  yet  the  eminent  success 
of  the  astronomical  observations  will  leave  only  pleasant  memories 
of  the  expedition. 

The  passage  back  to  Montevideo  was  the  best  we  had  yet  made. 
The  weather  was  remarkably  fine,  and  one  day  we  logged  a  distance 
of  202.6  miles.  We  arrived  at  Montevideo  at  eight  p.m.,  Friday, 
February  2,  and  exchanged  signals  with  the  "  Galena"  as  we  came 
in.  Commander  Batcheller  came  on  board  as  soon  as  we  had 
anchored  and  informed  us  that  Captain  Weaver  was  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  station. 

Admiral  Crosby  left  Montevideo  on  January  28,  in  the  royal 
mail  steamer  "  Trent"  for  London,  where  he  expected  to  receive 
instructions  to  take  command  of  the  Asiatic  Squadron.  The  ad- 
miral was  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  Lieutenant  Marix.  They 
all  went  direct  to  Southampton  and  thence,  via  the  Suez  Canal,  to 


106  THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Hong-Kong.  The  admiral  was  very  anxious  to  take  Lieutenant 
Allibone  with  him,  but  the  Department  refused  to  permit  his  taking 
more  than  one,  and  Mr.  Marix  had  the  first  choice.  We  hoisted 
the  senior  officer's  pennant  at  the  mizzen  at  eight  a.m.,  February 
3,  and  Captain  Weaver  assumed  command  in  the  following 
squadron  order : 


Squadron  Order  )  U.  S.  S.  "  Biiooklyk,"  Montetidbo,  Uruouat, 

No.  1.  1  February  3, 1883. 

Rear-Admiral  Pieroe  Crosby,  United  States  Navy,  having  resigned  the  com- 
mand of  thii  squadron,  I  have  assumed  command  from  this  date. 
All  squadron  orders  now  in  force  will  remain  so  until  otherwise  directed. 

A.  W.  WEAVER, 

Captain  U.S.N.,  Commanding,  U.  S.  Naval  Force, 

on  South  Atlantic  Station. 


The  same  day  the  chaplain  returned  on  board  from  leave,  and 
Midshipmen  Ripley  and  Snowden,  of  the  admiral's  staff,  the 
printer,  band,  and  bargemen,  all  came  back  again  from  the  "  Ga- 
lena," the  precaution  taken  against  bringing  cockroaches  from 
her  being  quite  an  incident  in  connection  with  their  return. 

The  usual  offers  of  service  were  tendered  by  the  foreign  men- 
of-war  in  the  harbor,  and  wo  settled  down  into  our  old  routine. 
Sunday,  February  4,  held  general  muster,  when  the  above  order 
was  read  to  the  ship's  company.  The  next  week  we  coaled  ship, 
set  up  the  rigging,  painted  the  yards  and  masts,  tarred  down,  and 
completely  overhauled  the  ship.  A  fresh  coat  of  paint  outside 
finished  the  work,  and  her  fine  appearance  can  be  justly  described 
as  reflecting  great  credit  on  all.  General  liberty  for  forty-eight 
hours  was  given  to  the  crew  in  detachments  of  fifly  at  a  time,  and 
their  prompt  return  and  good  behavior  on  shore  spoke  well  for 
the  discipline.  Upon  our  return  we  were  very  much  pleased  to 
find  Mr.  Handy  convalescing,  and  by  the  10th  he  recovered  and 
resumed  his  duties  on  board.  The  "  Galena"  sent  our  saluting 
battery  back  to  us  on  the  7th  and  the  barge  a  few  days  later. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLFN.  107 

We  were  very  sorry  to  hear  of  the  sudden  death  by  apoplexy 
of  Admiral  Baron  Grivel,  of  the  French  navy,  on  board  the 
"  Pallas."  He  assisted  at  the  reception  of  the  Emperor  of  Brazil 
on  board  this  ship  at  Rio ;  he  was  very  much  beloved,  and  his 
death  is  a  great  loss  to  the  French  navy.  Captain  Weaver  joined 
with  the  French  ram  "  La  Bourdonnais"  in  half-masting  the  colors, 
and  he  also  fired  a  salute  of  fifteen  minute-guns  in  his  memory. 

Washington's  birthday  was  only  observed  officially.  The  ship 
was  beautifully  dressed,  rainbow  style  from  sunrise  to  sunset,  and 
at  noon  we  fired  a  national  salute  of  twenty-one  guns.  All  the 
foreign  men-of-war  and  most  of  the  shipping  in  port  also  dressed, 
while  the  fort  on  Mount  Cerro  joined  in  the  salute.  The  "  Gra- 
lena"  was  not  present  to  join  with  us  in  these  observances,  as  Cap- 
tain Weaver  had  sent  her  to  Colonia  on  the  15th,  where  she 
had  opportunity  for  boat  drills  and  landed  a  naval  brigade  to  camp 
out  for  several  days,  while  an  eflfort  was  made  to  destroy  the 
roaches  with  which  she  was  infested. 

THE   TRANSIT    OF   VENUS. 
By  W.  Ahdsrson,  seaman,  United  States  Flag-ship  "Brooklyn." 

The  sun  was  setting  brightly 

O'er  Montevideo  Bay. 
It  shone  upon  a  ship  of  war 

That  at  her  anchor  lay, 
And  everything  on  board  of  her 

Looked  neatly,  trim,  and  bright, 
And  under  her  mizzen  peak 

She  flew  the  stars  and  stripes. 

I  thought  I'd  go  and  join  her, 

For  there  was  no  work  on  shore, 
So  I  went  to  try  my  fortune 

In  a  Yankee  man-of-war. 
I  joined  this  well-known  war-ship, 

The  "  Brooklyn"  was  her  name, 
The  flag-ship  of  onr  station. 

And  from  New  York  she  oame. 


108  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

I  scarcely  had  been  on  board 

Above  a  week  or  more, 
When  we  received  the  orders. 

To  our  disappointment  sore, 
To  steam  away  for  Santa  Cruz, 

Where  nothing's  to  be  found 
But  barren  hills  and  sea-birds. 

With  which  it  does  abound. 

We  sailed  and  reached  the  river. 

And  a  boat  was  sent  on  shore ; 
To  find  a  place  to  pitch  our  tents. 

They  quickly  did  explore. 
The  sea-birds  rose  in  thousands 

With  thrilling  cries  and  screams, 
The  penguins  formed  like  soldiers 

To  welcome  us  it  seemed. 

Early  next  mom  we  started 

To  get  our  stores  on  shore  ; 
There  were  heliographs  and  telescopes, 

And  I  could  not  say  what  more. 
And  when  our  work  was  finished. 

Having  so  long  to  lay, 
We  got  up  fishing-parties 

To  pass  the  time  away. 

We  went  to  Penguin  Island, 

It  was  covered  with  low  brush. 
And  many  hundred  gulls'  eggs 

Were  collected  there  by  us. 
Whilst  we  were  hauling  the  seine, 

And  the  officers  firing  powder, 
We  always  found  plenty  of  cooks 

For  dishing  op  fish-chowder. 

And  so  the  day  came  quickly  on 

For  Venus  to  appear ; 
The  morning  broke  in  splendor, 

The  horizon  was  clear. 
The  astronomers  at  their  places 

Observed  Venus  on  the  sun, 
And  took  224  photographs. 

Which  surely  was  well  done. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  109 

And  now  our  task  being  finished, 

And  glad  enough  were  we, 
We  bid  adieu  to  Santa  Cruz, 

In  South  Ameriky. 
I  think  that  I  will  now  conclude, 

But  all  I've  wrote  is  truth, 
I've  sketched  to  you  the  outlines 

Of  our  trip  to  Santa  Cruz. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Montevideo — The  Carnival  Festivities  in  1883 — Full  Accounts  of  the  "  Pom- 
ito"  Warfare  with  the  Montevidean  Belles — The  Masked  Balls  at  the  Clubs 
in  Montevideo — Scientific  Evolutions  on  Board  the  "  Brooklyn"  to  deter- 
mine Tactical  Diameter — Departure  of  Naval  Cadets  for  Examination  at 
Annapolis — A  Visit  to  a  Saladero — Description  of  the  Principal  Industry  of 
Uruguay — The  Fire  Department  at  Montevideo — Gallant  Conduct  of  Sev- 
eral of  the  Crew  of  the  "Brooklyn" — Surprise  of  the  Citizens  at  the  In- 
trepid Bravery  of  the  "  Yankee"  Sailors — A  Bull-Fight  at  Montevideo — 
Description  of  the  Actors  and  the  Bull-Ring — Arrival  of  a  Paraguayan 
Man-of-War  at  Montevideo — Brief  Sketch  of  a  Thrilling  Incident  in  the 
Paraguayan  War. 

THE  CARNIVAL  OP  '83  AT  MONTEVIDEO. 

The  word  carnival  is  derived  from  the  Latin  caro,  meaning 
flesh,  and  vah,  farewell, — farewell  to  flesh.  It  is  the  name  of  a 
festival  observed  in  Roman  Catholic  countries  immediately  before 
the  commencement  of  Lent.  Carnival  is  observed  in  many  of  the 
cities  of  Europe,  notably  Rome,  Florence,  Nice,  Barcelona,  and 
Madrid,  and  in  the  Spanish-American  cities  of  South  America. 
In  the  United  States  its  observance  is  limited  to  a  few  Southern 
cities,  such  as  New  Orleans,  Memphis,  and  Baton  Rouge,  and  only 
one  day,  the  third,  Mardi  Gras  is  observed.  In  these  cities  the 
celebration  consists  only  in  a  grand  expensive  procession,  where 
the  king  of  the  carnival.  Rex,  is  represented  by  the  person  sub- 

8 


110  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN, 

scribing  the  most  money  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  procession, 
and  it  was  stated  that  in  1882  the  price  paid  at  New  Orleans  for 
this  honor  was  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  Fancy-dress  and  masked 
balls  are  also  given  Mardi  Gras  night.  This  year  Carnival  fell 
on  the  4th,  5th,  and  6th  of  February,  and  at  Montevideo  the  11th 
was  also  observed,  when  the  burial  of  King  Carnival  took  place. 

The  principal  streets  (named  after  historical  dates) — the  25th 
of  May  and  the  18th  of  July — were  spanned  by  arches,  which 
were  ornamented  with  small  flags  of  various  colors  during  the 
day  and  with  colored  gas-jets  at  night,  thus  giving  the  city  a  very 
brilliant  and  fantastic  appearance.  Until  the  afternoon,  with  the 
exception  of  these  decorations,  there  was  little  to  indicate  the 
presence  of  Carnival  except  the  stands  at  the  corners  and  nu- 
merous small  boys  peddling  pomos  and  pomitos.  As  these  form 
one  of  the  most  important  features  of  the  festival,  a  description  of 
them  may  prove  interesting  to  the  reader.  They  are  similar  to 
the  tubes  for  artists'  oil  colors,  and  consist  of  a  soft  leaden  flask 
closed  at  the  lower  end  and  with  a  pin-opening  at  the  other ;  this 
is  closed  with  a  little  screw  cap,  and  the  whole  flask  covered  with 
fancy  decorated  paper.  By  removing  the  screw  cap  and  squeezing 
the  pomo  a  small  stream  of  perfumed  water  is  thrown  out.  Pom- 
itos are  simply  small-sized  pomos.  These  were  sold  in  thousands, 
and  cost,  according  to  size,  from  two  to  twenty  cents. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  streets  commenced  to 
present  an  animated  appearance ;  groups  of  men  and  girls  in  dom- 
inoes and  masks  began  to  promenade,  and  small  processions  of 
"  companaras," — boys  and  young  men  in  costume  with  blackened 
faces, — led  by  a  few  pieces  of  music,  also  paraded  the  streets. 
Water  was  the  ammunition  relied  upon  by  everybody,  and,  whether 
thrown  from  pomos,  pomitos,  paper  bags,  buckets,  or  from  a  hose 
attached  to  a  street  hydrant,  was  received  in  good  grace  by  every 
one,  and  with  genuine  amusement  by  spectators.  Every  one,  from 
the  small  child  to  the  old  man,  was  armed  with  pomitos  and  ready 
to  do  battle.     Ladies  in  the  windows  were  ready  to  squirt  them 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  HI 

on  the  passer-by,  and  those  on  the  balconies  threw  water  down 
upon  the  unlucky  pedestrian  and  upon  those  in  the  open  carriages. 
As  a  rule  the  gentler  sex  received  the  greatest  attention,  as  men 
seldom  took  the  trouble  to  attack  each  other. 

Ladies  seldom  appeared  on  the  street  unless  in  domino  and 
masked,  but  many  during  the  evening  were  out  in  carriages,  those 
wishing  only  to  see  the  fun  having  the  windows  closed,  but  those 
desiring  to  participate  in  open  carriages.  The  occupants  of  these 
were  generally  in  costume  and  masked,  and  fully  prepared  to  not 
only  resist,  but  to  open  an  attack  at  any  time.  The  fun  was  at  its 
height  from  seven  to  ten  in  the  evening,  and  then  the  streets 
were  crowded.  Carriages  slowly  drove  up  and  down  the  streets, 
and  their  occupants  were  the  objects  of  attack  from  every  one, 
men  not  only  walking  alongside  of  them  discharging  pomitos,  but 
in  some  instances  getting  on  the  carriage  steps  and  taking  a  ride, 
at  the  same  time  having  a  pitched  battle  with  the  fair  ones  inside, 
and  often  being  compelled  to  beat  a  retreat.  Wherever  a  female 
was  seen,  either  on  the  street,  in  the  shops,  or  in  the  windows,  she 
was  the  object  of  attack.  In  many  cases  they  were  fully  prepared 
to  return  the  compliment  and  did  not  wait  to  be  attacked,  as  was 
exemplified  one  evening  at  the  English  Club  when  a  party  of  girls 
took  possession  and  drove  the  occupants  out.  During  the  evening 
gentlemen  called  upon  their  lady  friends,  sometimes  in  dominoes 
and  masks,  and  they  generally  received  a  wet  welcome,  as  several 
oflBcers  ascertained  who  tried  the  experiment,  for  at  one  house  they 
were  almost  submerged  by  several  young  ladies. 

About  eleven  the  fun  for  the  day  was  over  and  people  went 
home  to  dress  for  the  balls.  These  masked  balls  were  very  nu- 
merous, as  many  as  eight  or  ten  every  evening.  Montevideo  is  a 
very  cosmopolitan  city,  and  the  different  nationalities  have  their 
separate  clubs,  the  Uruguayan,  Spanish,  French,  Italian,  and 
English  being  the  principal  ones.  The  members  of  these  clubs, 
with  the  exception  of  the  English,  gave  one  or  more  masked  balls 
during  Carnival,  and  very  kindly  extended  invitations  to  the  offi- 


112  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

cere  of  the  "  Galena"  and  "  Brooklyn."  In  addition  to  these 
balls  there  were  several  subscription  and  public  balls  at  the  prom- 
inent theatres.  No  one  appeared  at  the  ball-rooms  until  after 
midnight,  and  they  were  still  crowded  at  daybreak,  and  as  the 
club-rooms  were  situated  very  near  each  other,  many  of  the  oflB- 
cere  visited  several  the  same  morning.  The  decorations  of  the 
club-rooms,  the  music  and  refreshments,  were  very  fine,  but 
dancing  was  of  minor  importance,  as  every  one  seemed  to  prefer 
to  promenade,  talk,  flirt,  etc.  Still,  dancing  was  carried  on  to 
some  extent,  the  polka  and  mazourka  being  the  most  prominent 
dances  noticed,  the  rooms  being  too  crowded  to  indulge  in  the 
popular  quadrille.  Gentlemen  were  not  masked,  except  in  a  few 
instances,  at  the  Spanish  and  Italian  clubs,  but  were  in  evening 
dress,  and  the  officera  in  full  uniform,  which  added  to  the  bril- 
liancy of  the  rooms.  As  the  club  balls  of  Montevideo,  especially 
at  Carnival,  are  noted  for  the  beauty  of  their  lady  guests,  we  were 
prepared  in  part  for  the  scenes  in  which  we  participated,  but  re- 
gret our  inability  to  do  anything  like  justice  to  the  beauty  and 
wit  we  encountered,  or  to  a  description  of  the  toilets  and  costumes 
we  observed. 

The  principal  object  of  the  ladies  seemed  to  be  to  disguise 
themselves  without  attempting  to  copy  any  particular  costume, 
and  although  many  were  very  rich  and  beautiful,  still  one  noticed 
the  absence  of  the  usual  characters,  such  as  Red  Kiding-Hoods, 
Shepherdesses,  Gypsies,  etc.  This  absence  of  characteristic  cos- 
tumes, and  the  fact  that  most  of  the  ladies  adopted  a  high,  shrill 
tone  of  voice  in  talking,  made  it  almost  impossible  to  recognize 
most  of  the  ladies,  and  many  laughable  mistakes  and  surprises 
took  place  in  consequence.  Ball-room  etiquette  in  South  Amer- 
ica differs  greatly  from  ours  at  home.  A  young  lady  goes  to  a 
ball  with  her  chaperon,  sits  near  her,  and  hardly  ever  is  out  of  her 
sight,  except  to  dance  with  some  approved  person,  and  such  an 
event  as  going  out  in  the  conservatory  or  balcony  for  a  little  air, 
or  out  on  the  staira  to  have  a  little  cream  and  a  great  deal  of  flirt- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  113 

ing,  is  almost  unknown.  During  Carnival,  in  contradiction  to  the 
usual  custom,  ladies  are  allowed  the  greatest  license.  They  walk 
around  the  ball-rooms  unaccompanied  by  escort,  and  talk,  flirt,  or 
dance  with  any  one  they  wish  to,  and  seem  to  try  and  make  up 
for  the  restrictions  imposed  upon  them  since  the  previous  Carni- 
val, and  this  latitude,  combined  with  their  beauty  and  wit,  makes 
one  fully  realize  the  truth  of  the  traditions  handed  down  of  the 
South  American  beauties.  Gentlemen  also  have  the  privilege  of 
speaking  to  any  lady  in  mask,  so  no  participant  could  blame  any 
one  but  himself  or  his  deficiency  as  a  linguist  if  he  failed  to 
enjoy  himself  to  the  utmost. 

The  general  opinion  of  all  the  officers  attending  the  balls  was 
that  they  were  most  thoroughly  enjoyable,  and  they  are  deeply 
indebted  to  the  officers  and  members  of  the  several  clubs  for  the 
invitations  and  courtesies  extended  to  them. 

Sunday,  the  11th,  was  the  last  day  of  Carnival,  and  every  one 
seemed  possessed  with  the  idea  of  making  up  for  the  loss  of  any 
fun  they  had  missed  during  the  previous  days.  During  the  after- 
noon the  ceremony  of  the  burial  of  Rex,  King  of  the  Carnival,  took 
place.  A  procession  paraded  the  streets,  headed  by  a  man  on  horse- 
back dressed  in  black,  with  a  high  hat  and  crape  trimmings ;  he 
was  followed  by  four  men  bearing  a  litter,  on  which  was  supposed 
to  be  the  body  of  King  Rex.  Then  came  a  man  dressed  to  repre- 
sent the  devil,  afler  him  a  band  of  music,  and  the  remainder  of 
the  procession  consisted  of  numerous  maskers  in  various  costumes. 
They  marched  through  the  principal  streets  to  the  upper  plaza, 
where  a  mock  religious  ceremony  took  place,  and  then  the  sup- 
posed remains  were  escorted  to  the  place  of  burial,  where  instead 
of  the  man  the  body  of  a  pig  or  horse  was  substituted  and  buried. 
That  night  the  ball  at  the  Uruguayan  Club  was  a  particularly  fine 
one ;  it  was  largely  attended  by  the  fashionable  society,  the  diplo- 
matic corps,  and  foreign  naval  officers.  It  was  a  grand  success, 
and  a  fitting  finale  to  the  Carnival  of  '83. 


114  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 


CHANGE  IN  THE   DUTIES  AND  TITLES  OP  OUR  JUNIOR  OFFI- 
CERS. 

An  order  from  the  Navy  Department,  in  accordance  with  recent 
act  of  Congress,  changed  the  title  of  cadet-midshipmen  and  cadet- 
engineers,  all  of  whom  are  designated  as  naval  cadets,  and  an 
equal  degree  of  proficiency  is  required  of  them  as  line  officers  and 
engineers.  In  consequence  of  this  the  naval  cadets  exchanged 
duties, — Mr.  Parsons  and  Mr.  Perry  to  serve  as  engineers,  while 
Mr.  Beach  and  Mr.  Smith  perform  the  duties  of  line  officers. 

Monday,  March  5,  we  got  under  way  and  stood  down  the  river 
for  the  usual  quarterly  target-practice  with  great  guns,  and  to 
make  additional  observations  of  the  steaming  and  steering  quali- 
ties of  the  ship  and  the  effect  upon  the  compass  by  heeling  the 
vessel  on  different  sides. 

We  arrived  at  a  suitable  place  for  making  these  experiments  at 
about  11.30  A.M.,  and  at  once  proceeded  to  work  ship  for  ascer- 
taining further  particulars  in  regard  to  the  turning  powers  of  the 
ship.  The  ship  described  twelve  circles  around  two  buoys,  which 
were  picked  up  after  each  complete  turn.  The  circles  were  made 
under  full  power,  two- thirds,  and  one-half.  The  drift  angle  was 
also  computed  for  each  circle.  The  necessity  of  knowing  this  is 
clear,  when  we  remember  that  a  ship's  speed  is  materially  reduced 
when  turning.  The  loss  of  speed  is  generally  attributed  to  the 
resistance  of  the  rudder,  but  this  cannot  account  for  all  the  loss. 
A  ship  in  turning  necessarily  goes  more  or  less  sideways,  and  this 
broadside  movement  offers  great  resistance  and  reduces  the  speed. 
The  drill  angle  determines  how  much  it  is,  and  thus  the  entire 
loss  of  speed  can  be  accounted  for. 

We  came  to  anchor  at  seven  p.m.  with  everything  in  readiness 
for  continuing  the  experiment.  At  6.30  the  next  morning  we 
again  got  under  way  and  swung  ship  for  compass  error,  steaming 
around  on  every  point  of  the  compass.     These  observations  could 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  115 

only  be  made  about  two  and  a  half  hours  before  and  after  noon, 
and  the  interval  was  utilized  by  having  the  quarterly  target-prac- 
tice. We  went  to  general  quarters  at  12.30  p.m.,  and  fired  three 
rounds  from  the  pivot  guns  and  six  from  the  broadside  battery  at 
a  regulation  target,  thirteen  to  fourteen  hundred  yards  distant. 
The  best  shot  was  made  by  James  Millmore,  second  captain  of 
No.  8  gun.  We  resumed  the  compass  observations  at  2.15  p.m., 
and  finished  the  second  series  at  5.15  p.m.  The  next  day  was 
cloudy,  and  we  were  obliged  to  wait  until  Thursday  before  contin- 
uing the  experiment.  The  ship  was  then  listed  over  to  port  in 
the  forenoon,  and  to  starboard  in  the  afternoon,  thus  completing 
the  entire  set  of  observations. 

At  six  p.m.  we  returned  to  the  harbor,  and  Captain  Weaver 
brought  the  ship  considerably  nearer  the  city  than  we  had  ever 
been  before.  After  which  the  crew  had  their  regular  routine 
duties  and  drills  with  but  little  to  modify  their  uniformity.  The 
ship  was  dressed  with  bunting,  rainbow  style,  three  times  in  the 
month  of  March,  to  celebrate  foreign  national  holidays :  on  March 
14,  the  anniversary  of  the  birth  of  the  Empress  of  Brazil  and  also 
that  of  the  King  of  Italy ,  the  Italian  and  Brazilian  flags  were 
displayed  side  by  side  at  our  main  and  two  national  salutes  were 
fired  at  noon ;  on  the  22d,  the  birthday  of  King  William,  the 
Emperor  of  Germany,  and  on  the  25th,  the  anniversary  of  the 
coronation  of  Dom  Pedro,  the  Emperor  of  Brazil.  The  last  hap- 
pened on  Easter-Sunday,  and  the  ship's  appearance  dressed  with 
bunting  seemed  especially  in  harmony  with  the  great  Church  fes- 
tival, the  weather  being  perfect. 

The  mail  which  arrived  on  the  17th  instant  brought  the  orders 
for  the  naval  cadets  to  proceed  to  Annapolis  for  examination. 
Captain  Weaver  immediately  sent  telegraphic  orders  to  Comman- 
der Batcheller  to  return  here  with  the  "  Galena,"  which  arrived 
accordingly  early  on  Monday  morning,  March  19.  The  naval 
cadets  of  both  ships  were  all  detached  on  the  22d  and  took  pas- 
sage in  the  Royal  Mail  steamer  "  Minho"  for  Southampton,  whence 


116  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

they  proceeded  to  New  York,  and  arrived  at  Annapolis  about 
the  15th  of  May,  1883.  Messrs.  Parsons,  Perry,  Smith,  and 
Beach,  of  this  ship,  left  with  our  best  wishes  for  their  success. 
They  all  made  a  host  of  friends  on  board,  and  we  regretted  losing 
them  very  much.  These  young  gentlemen  are  very  seriously  af- 
fected by  the  Congressional  legislation  of  1882,  which  enacted  that 
only  ten  of  the  entire  class  should  be  admitted  into  the  service, 
and  that  all  others  who  should  pass  their  final  examination  should 
be  given  one  thousand  dollars  and  then  mustered  out.  The  ward- 
room officers  gave  the  young  gentlemen  a  farewell  breakfast  the 
day  they  left,  and  although  all  were  pleased  with  the  idea  of  going 
home,  yet  they  found  that  after  all  the  "  Brooklyn"  had  been  a 
pleasant  home  for  them  for  eighteen  months,  and  they  could  not 
leave  without  regretting  the  parting  from  so  many  true  friends. 
The  names  of  the  seven  young  gentlemen  who  were  also  detached 
from  the  "  Galena"  at  the  same  time  are:  Messrs.  Ljnnard,  Printup, 
Colwell,  McKee,  Whitham,  Bankson,  and  Donnelly,  who  left  with 
the  best  wishes  of  their  friends  for  their  future  success. 

During  March,  1883,  the  health  of  the  officers  and  men  of 
both  the  "Brooklyn"  and  "Galena"  was  excellent;  indeed,  this 
has  been  the  experience  the  whole  cruise,  except  during  our  last 
visit  to  Santa  Cruz,  when  a  great  many  suffered  with  slight  colds. 

The  officers  then  had  several  little  gatherings  on  board  and  one 
small  german,  which  was  particularly  enjoyed  by  those  who  are 
fond  of  dancing. 

A  VISIT   TO   A  SALADERO. 

The  principal  items  among  the  exports  of  Montevideo  are  products 
of  the  saladeros,  or  jerked-beef  establishments  in  this  vicinity, 
and  as  the  methods  adopted  by  the  "  Orientals"  are  very  different 
from  those  in  the  United  States,  a  brief  account  may  be  interest- 
ing to  the  reader.  These  saladeros  are  situated  in  the  valley  be- 
tween the  peninsula  on  which  the  city  is  built  and  the  "  Cerro," 
and  extend  along  the  eastern  base  of  the  latter  to  Cibils's  large 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  117 

dry-dock.  The  saladero  we  visited  is  composed  of  a  number  of 
buildings,  sheds,  yards,  and  cattle-pens,  all  of  which  occupy  an 
area  of  about  five  acres.  The  cattle  were  in  the  corral  extending 
around  two  sides  enclosed  by  a  high  fence.  This  corral  has  a  long 
fenced  lane,  one  end  of  which  is  closed  by  a  sliding-door  raised 
and  lowered  by  pulleys;  inside  of  this  there  is  a  small  floored 
slaughter-pen  with  a  platform  on  two  sides,  and  with  a  stout  hori- 
zontal bar  on  an  opening  just  opposite  the  sliding-door.  This  bar 
has  a  stout  ring  and  pulley  secured  at  its  centre,  through  which  a 
line  is  rove  with  a  lasso  on  one  end,  while  the  other  leads  outside 
the  pen  and  is  attached  to  the  traces  of  a  horse. 

Upon  this  occasion  fifteen  or  twenty  bulls  were  driven  into  the 
slaughter-pen  and  confined  there  by  lowering  the  sliding-door. 
The  floor  was  kept  wet  and  slippery,  so  that  when  they  lassoed  a 
bull  and  attached  the  horse  to  the  line  he  was  readily  hauled  up 
with  his  head  close  to  the  centre  of  the  bar.  The  floor  at  this 
place  was  cut  out  to  admit  a  low,  zinc-covered  platform-car,  the 
floor  of  which  was  on  a  level  with  the  floor  of  the  pen.  A  man 
with  a  small  two-edged  knife  stood  on  a  platform  opposite  the  bar, 
and  as  each  bull  was  hauled  up,  quickly  stabbed  it  between  the 
horns  to  sever  the  spinal  column,  which  resulted  in  instant  death 
in  every  case.  The  bull  dropped  on  to  the  car,  which  was  then 
hauled  out  into  a  long  dressing-shed  arranged  with  shelving  paving- 
stones  on  the  right  side  leading  to  a  gutter,  whence  the  blood  ran 
ofi",  and  with  tables  and  hooks  on  the  other  side.  The  carcasses 
were  thrown  on  these  stones  and  dressed  while  lying  down.  The 
head  and  tail  were  cut  off",  and  the  hide  then  skinned  off"  from  the 
uppermost  side  and  rolled  back  to  form  a  mat,  on  which  the  meat 
was  dressed  without  soiling  any  portions.  The  flesh  was  removed 
clean  from  the  bones  and  placed  on  the  tables.  The  joints  and 
bones  were  all  cut  out,  leaving  large  slabs  of  meat.  The  entrails 
and  refuse  matter  were  dragged  off"  to  a  receptacle  in  one  corner, 
whence  they  were  subsequently  carted  ofi".  The  slabs  of  meat 
were  then  sliced  in  a  peculiar  manner  to  form  large  hide-shaped 


118  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

sheets  of  exactly  even  thickness,  generally  one  inch.  These 
sheets  are  formed  by  slicing  with  sharp  carrers.  A  slab,  say  four 
inches  thick  and  about  two  square  feet,  is  sliced  to  leave  one  inch 
thick  below  and  three  inches  thick  on  top ;  the  three-inch  slice  is 
not  severed  but  thrown  back  on  the  table,  where  it  is  two  inches 
higher  than  the  first  part ;  the  knife  then  slices  off  to  leave  a 
second  sheet  one  inch  thick,  the  two-inch  piece  is  then  thrown 
back  beyond  on  the  table.  This  piece  is  then  again  sliced,  and 
the  whole  forms  one  sheet  of  beef  one  inch  thick,  two  feet  wide, 
and  about  eight  feet  long.  Great  care  and  skill  is  necessary  to 
obtain  thin,  even  sheets,  in  order  that  the  meat  may  be  perfectly 
cured.  These  sheets  are  then  hung  upon  the  hooks  to  cool, 
whence  they  are  taken  to  a  large  tank  of  brine  in  the  building 
at  the  end  of  the  dressing-shed.  The  beef  is  left  in  the  tank 
for  several  days,  and  then  piled  up,  with  layers  of  salt  on  each 
sheet  of  beef.  This  is  left  for  two  or  three  days,  when  it  is 
washed,  and  then  carried  out  to  dry  on  poles  in  the  sun  in  a  sepa- 
rate yard  on  the  left,  and  special  care  is  taken  that  it  does  not  get 
wet. 

This  jerked  beef  is  exported  to  Brazil  and  Cuba,  and  serves  as 
food  for  the  army  and  slaves.  France  also  receives  a  large  supply. 
It  is  of  a  dirty-yellow  color  and  does  not  appear  very  palatable, 
but  it  is  very  good.  The  hides  are  taken  to  a  building  on  the 
right  of  that  containing  the  tanks  and  treated  in  the  usual  manner. 
The  blood  is  run  off  to  waste  from  the  gutter,  while  all  the  scraps, 
bones,  and  refuse  matter  are  gathered  and  taken  to  the  boiler  build- 
ing, the  second  floor  of  which  is  on  a  level  with  the  above  pave- 
ment. This  is  then  emptied  into  a  series  of  boilers,  where  it  is 
boiled  down  and  converted  into  tallow.  The  bones  are  used  as 
j^el  for  the  boilers,  and  the  ashes  collected  and  exported  as  bone- 
ash  for  fertilizers. 

The  skill  and  quiet  method  of  the  whole  series  of  operations 
won  our  admiration.  Some  idea  of  the  extent  of  these  opera- 
tions may  be  conveyed  when  we  learn  that  one  hundred  and  thirty- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  119 

five  thousand  head  of  cattle  were  slaughtered  in  the  saladeros 
during  the  month  of  February  alone. 

MONTEVIDEO   AND   ITS   FIRE    DEPARTMENT. 

THE    GALLANTET  OF    SOMB  OF   THE    CBEW  OF  THE  "BROOKLYN"  AT  A 
FIBE  ox  SHORE. 

The  city  of  Montevideo  is  one  of  the  handsomest  and  cleanest 
of  cities  one  will  meet  on  any  cruise.  The  houses  are  hand- 
somely decorated  with  Italian  art,  and  though  it  is  all  plaster  and 
colored  wash,  yet  it  certainly  does  look  well.  The  streets  are 
wide,  and  well  paved  with  square  granite  blocks  and  flag  side- 
walks, and  are  drained  by  the  natural  slope  of  the  land.  The 
dwelling-houses  in  Montevideo  are  generally  built  of  one  story. 
They  have  wide  ornamental  front  doors,  usually  of  hard  wood, 
which  are  always  provided  with  a  knocker  instead  of  a  door-bell. 
These  knockers  are  as  a  rule  quite  as  effective  as  our  door-bells, 
though  whenever  we  have  used  them,  our  first  impulse  has  been 
to  hammer  like  an  auctioneer,  and  we  have  always  been  surprised 
at  the  prompt  answer.  The  door  opens  upon  a  wide  hall  leading 
to  a  small  court,  which  is  not  roofed  over.  The  rooms  are  ar- 
ranged to  enclose  the  court  on  the  sides  with  their  doors  opening 
into  it.  The  ceilings  are  as  a  rule  very  high,  but  no  attention 
is  paid  to  their  proper  ventilation.  Twelve  and  fourteen  feet 
stud  is  quite  common,  even  when  the  house  is  an  alta,  one  which 
has  two  or  three  floors.  The  people  there  have  become  so  much 
accustomed  to  houses  with  but  one  floor  that  when  they  do 
occupy  an  alta  they  are  arranged  as  our  flats,  separate  families  on 
each  floor.  The  interior  of  the  house  is  generally  plainly  fur- 
nished, but  elegant  crystal  chandeliers  are  very  much  the  fashion. 
Stoves  and  fireplaces  are  very  rare  except  in  the  kitchen,  and  in 
winter  the  people  weai*  their  wraps  in-doors  instead  of  having 
their  rooms  artificially  heated.  The  winters  are,  however,  not 
very  severe,  though  the  thermometer  frequently  falls  below  the 
freezing-point. 


120  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

This  fact  and  the  almost  fire-proof  nature  of  their  houses  gives 
them  such  immunity  from  fires  that  an  alarm  of  fire  is  a  very  rare 
event,  so  much  so  that  they  have  neglected  the  organization  of  a 
regular  fire  department  and  have  left  it  as  one  of  the  minor  duties 
of  the  serenos  (police).  The  serenos  have  several  old-fashioned 
suction-engines  and  hose-trucks  which  can  be  used  in  connection 
with  the  supply  from  the  city  water-works,  and  the  crews  of  men- 
of-war  in  the  harbor  are  relied  upon  to  save  them  if  a  fire  gets 
any  headway. 

A  fire  broke  out  about  two  p.m.  on  the  15th  of  March  in  a 
stable  on  Andes  Street,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city,  which, 
but  for  the  timely  arrival  of  some  of  our  crew,  might  have  proved  a 
serious  conflagration.  Richard  Walsh,  bugler;  John  Dolan,  fire- 
man ;  Emil  Ziebarth  and  Charles  J.  V.  Iverson,  ordinary  seamen  ; 
Wm.  Sinnott  and  Harry  Forkin,  landsmen  ;  and  naval  apprentices 
Barrett,  Bryan,  and  Natteford,  of  the  "  Brooklyn,"  were  ashore 
on  liberty  when  the  alarm  was  given,  and  they  were  the  first  to 
arrive  on  the  scene.  These  men  at  once  threw  off  their  blue 
jackets  and  sailed  in  to  put  the  fire  out  in  a  seamanlike  manner. 
Natteford,  Ziebarth,  and  Iverson  rushed  into  the  burning  stable 
and  released  the  horses,  while  Dolan,  Barrett,  and  Bryan  mounted 
to  the  roof  of  the  adjoining  three-story  house,  which  was  directly 
over  the  seat  of  the  fire,  and  burning  on  that  side.  They  pro- 
cured a  rope  from  some  of  the  inmates  and  sent  it  down  as  a 
hauling-line  for  the  hose,  which  had  been  brought  in  the  mean 
time  by  the  serenos.  They  had  some  difficulty  in  making  them- 
selves understood,  but  succeeded  by  gestures  in  making  the  aston- 
ished serenos  both  understand  and  obey  them  as  recognized  leaders. 
Walsh  and  Forkin  assisted  in  getting  the  hose  up,  and  Dolan  had 
to  come  down  to  show  them  how  to  couple  two  sections  of  hose  to 
reach.  This  was  all  done  very  quickly,  and  the  stream  of  water 
from  the  engine  worked  by  the  serenos  was  so  well  directed  that 
the  house  was  saved  from  the  flames.  The  men  on  the  roof  then 
gradually  fought  their  way  down  and  into  the  blazing  stable,  when 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  121 

they  were  reinforced  by  two  detachments  of  sailors  from  the  Ar- 
gentine ironclad  "  Andes"  and  the  French  gunboat  "  Tactique." 
Our  men,  however,  still  had  charge  at  the  most  critical  point  in 
the  stable,  where  Forkin  and  Bryan  were  fighting  the  flames  with 
a  good  stream  of  water,  when  the  roof  was  observed  to  be  about 
to  fall  in.  This  roof  was  of  sheet-iron,  supported  by  wooden 
rafters,  and  while  the  serenos  were  trying  to  persuade  the  men  to 
look  out  for  themselves,  Barrett  coolly  went  in  and,  with  a  shout 
to  Bryan  to  "  stand  from  under,"  knocked  down  the  main  support 
and  allowed  the  roof  to  fall  in  and  smother  the  flames. 

After  Natteford,  Ziebarth,  and  Iverson  had  released  the  horses 
they  joined  Sinnott  in  removing  the  furniture  from  the  house,  and 
rendered  invaluable  services.  Walsh  was  everywhere,  and  was 
recognized  by  the  citizens  as  if  he  were  the  officer  in  charge. 
The  next  day  the  morning  papers  gave  full  accounts  of  the  scene, 
lavished  praises  and  thanks  to  our  men  for  their  gallantry  and  ser- 
vices, and  contrasted  their  acta  with  the  terrified  helplessness  of 
the  serenos  in  the  emergency.  No  translation  could  do  justice  to 
the  phraseology  used  by  the  Ferro  Carril  in  describing  their  ad- 
miration of  the  men  on  the  roof  fighting  the  flames,  each  de- 
scription of  the  several  daring  deeds  being  interlarded  with  "  Oh, 
those  Yankees  1"     "  How  reckless  !"  etc. 

The  captain  of  the  port  then  requested  co-operation  of  the  com- 
manders of  men-of-war  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  in  the  event  of 
fire  in  the  city  and  port.  The  following  signal  will  be  made  at 
his  office  in  case  such  assistance  should  be  needed :  "  In  case 
of  a  fire  at  night,  three  rockets  will  be  fired  and  a  red  light 
hoisted  on  the  flag-staff  at  the  wharf  if  it  be  in  port  among  the 
shipping,  a  green  light  for  fire  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city,  and 
a  white  light  if  in  the  southern  part  of  the  same.  In  the  event 
of  a  fire  breaking  out  during  the  day,  the  same  signals  will  be 
made  by  flags, — red  flag  if  in  the  port,  and  green  or  yellow  flags 
for  the  northern  or  southern  parts  of  the  city,  respectively." 

Captain  Weaver  directed  that  the  vessels  of  this  squadron 


122  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

obey  tbis  signal  if  tbe  weatber  and  otber  circamstances  permit, 
and  tbat  a  detail  of  twenty  men  be  sent  on  sbore  to  report  to  tbe 
captain  of  the  port  whenever  tbe  signal  shall  be  made. 

THE  NATIONAL  SPORT  OF  SPAIN. 
FULL  DESCRIPTION  OF  A  BULL-FIOHT. 

The  great  national  amusement  among  all  Spaniards,  and  in  gen- 
eral Spanish-speaking  people,  is  bull-fighting,  which  to  other 
people  is  a  most  revolting  and  barbarous  custom.  It  is  attended 
by  all  classes,  ages,  and  sexes,  high-  and  low-born,  old  and  young, 
males  and  females.  In  Spain  and  the  Spanish -American  countries 
it  is  principally  practised.  In  Peru,  notably  in  Lima  and  Callao, 
tbis  sight  is  not  so  revolting,  as  the  most  sickening  feature,  the 
killing  of  the  horses,  does  not  occur.  There  the  horses  are  given 
some  chance  and  are  not  blindfolded,  but  are  trained  to  avoid  tbe 
bull,  which  they  do  so  skilfully  that  they  are  seldom  or  never  hurt ; 
but  in  Spain  and  Uruguay  the  sight  may  be  witnessed  in  all  its 
horrors.  In  those  countries  the  poor  horses  are  blindfolded  (gen- 
erally in  one  eye,  which  is  always  kept  towards  tbe  bull),  and  are 
led  up  to  the  bull  all  unconscious  of  their  danger  until  the  sharp 
horns  open  an  ugly  hole,  from  which  their  life's  blood  pours  in 
torrents.  The  buU-fighta  in  Spain  are  the  most  revolting  in  the 
world,  probably  as  the  bulls  of  that  country  are  more  ferocious 
than  any  others,  and  oflen  nine  horses  are  seen  at  one  time 
stretched  on  the  ground  the  victims  of  a  savage  bull.  In  Madrid 
and  Barcelona  occur  the  most  celebrated  fights  in  Spain,  and  at  a 
certain  fight  in  the  latter  city  not  many  years  ago  the  people  were 
so  excited  that  they  had  their  valuable  carriage-horses  brought  into 
the  ring,  only  to  be  torn  and  rent  by  the  infuriated  beasts.  In 
Lisbon  the  bull-fights  are  very  amusing,  being  devoid  of  all  the 
sickening  horrors,  as  they  simply  play  with  the  bull  and  do  not 
kill  him.  His  horns  are  sawed  ofi*  so  that  he  can't  hurt  any  one. 
The  capeadores  and  banderilleros  are  the  actors  in  these  fights. 
In  Montevideo  they  occasionally  have  amateur  fights,  which  are 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  123 

more  or  less  amusing,  as  the  bull's  horns  being  thickly  padded  he 
can  hurt  neither  man  nor  beast.  He  is  always  killed,  however, 
the  amateur  matador  being  coached  by  a  veteran.  In  Lima  on  a 
certain  day  a  tilt-board  was  brought  into  the  ring  and  on  each  end 
was  a  man.  It  was  very  laughable  to  see  the  bull  charge  for  the 
man  whose  end  of  the  board  was  down  and  which  was  instantly 
raised  by  the  other  man,  allowing  the  bull  to  pass  under.  Once 
the  bull  turned  quickly  and  caught  his  man  down,  but  fortu- 
nately did  not  hurt  him,  and  before  he  could  do  so  his  attention 
was  drawn  away  by  the  bright  shawls  of  the  capeadores.  Sun- 
days and  feast-days  are  the  days  generally  selected  for  this  amuse- 
ment, and  for  a  couple  of  hours  before  the  commencement  of  the 
fight  the  streets  are  lined  with  carriages  and  trams  (horse-cars) 
filled  with  people  on  their  way  to  La  Plaza  de  Toros  (Bull- Ring). 
For  several  days  before  the  fight  the  day  and  hour  of  la  corrida 
de  toros  (the  bull-fight)  is  posted  in  the  principal  streets  and  plazas, 
giving  the  names  of  the  matadores  or  espadas  (the  men  who  do 
the  killing),  the  number  of  bulls  to  be  killed,  and  the  price  of 
admission,  which  in  Montevideo  is  one  dollar  and  a  half  on  the 
shady  side,  and  one  dollar  on  the  sunny  side,  but  when  Spanish 
bulls  are  to  be  fought  the  prices  are  raised  respectively  to  three 
dollars  and  one  dollar  and  a  half. 

Although  most  of  us  had  seen  a  number  of  bull-fights,  our  curi- 
osity was  aroused  by  a  new  feature  in  the  amusement,  a  fight  be- 
tween a  tiger  and  a  bull ;  so  accordingly  several  of  us  from  this 
vessel  availed  ourselves  of  the  opportunity,  and  on  April  8  started 
out  for  the  bull-ring.  A  ride  in  one  of  the  trams  of  the  Tram 
via  del  Centre  of  about  fifty  minutes  took  us  within  three  blocks 
of  the  ring.  The  ride  alone  well  repaid  us,  as  it  took  us  through 
a  beautiful  country,  the  roads  of  which  were  lined  with  the  hand- 
some quintas  (country-seats)  of  the  rich.  On  arriving  at  the 
ring  we  saw  a  red  flag  over  it  with  this  inscription  "  Hoy  tore," 
meaning  literally  "  Bull-fight  to-day." 

Having  paid  our  entrance-fee,  we  passed  in  and  took  our  seats. 


124  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

The  bull-ring  is  a  massive  circular  structure  of  solid  masonry 
without  a  roof,  resembling  the  ancient  Roman  amphitheatres.  It 
has  a  seating  capacity  for  about  five  thousand  people.  The  seats, 
stone  steps,  are  hard  and  uncomfortable,  but  for  the  small  price 
of  ten  cents  cushions  can  be  hired.  The  inner  ring,  where  the 
bull  is  fought,  is  about  three  hundred  feet  in  diameter,  and  is  en- 
closed by  a  wooden  fence  about  four  feet  high  to  prevent  the  bull 
from  getting  within  the  outer  ring,  where  the  bull-fighters  retire 
when  closely  pressed.  Occasionally  an  active  bull  leaps  this  bar- 
rier, and  then  is  witnessed  a  lively  scramble  for  safety.  The  au- 
dience are  safe,  as  the  lower  seats  are  about  four  feet  from  the 
ground,  and  are  further  protected  by  roping.  A  guard  of  soldiers 
preserves  order,  and  one  of  the  government  bands  furnishes  music. 
At  several  intervals  in  the  wooden  fence  enclosing  the  inner  ring 
are  openings  to  allow  a  hard-pressed  fighter  to  escape  to  the  outer 
ring,  and  these  are  overlapped  by  shields  of  wood  just  far  enough 
from  the  fence  to  allow  a  man  to  squeeze  in.  These  shields  have 
a  bull's-eye  and  ring,  similar  to  a  target,  painted  on  them  in 
white,  so  that  the  men  can  readily  distinguish  their  retreat. 
Boxes  in  rear  of  the  seats  are  covered  with  a  roof,  and  in  the  one 
directly  opposite  the  enclosure  from  which  the  bulls  enter  the 
ring  sits  the  President  of  Uruguay  and  other  oflScials. 

Our  first  sight  on  entering  the  ring  was  a  large  iron  cage,  about 
twenty  feet  long  by  ten  feet  wide,  in  which  were  a  bull  and  a  tiger, 
they  being  separated  by  a  partition  of  boards.  On  this  particular 
day  three  bulls  were  to  be  killed  before  the  combat  between  the 
bull  and  the  tiger  was  to  take  place.  At  last  the  hour  of  the 
fight,  three  P.M.,  arrived,  the  band  struck  up  a  march,  the  gates 
were  thrown  open,  the  grand  cavalcade  entered  and  marched 
around  the  ring  and  out,  each  man  saluting  as  he  passed  the 
president.  First  came  the  matadores,  then  the  picadores,  banderil- 
leros,  capeadores,  and  a  chulo.  The  picadores  are  mounted  on 
horses,  have  their  legs  heavily  padded  for  protection  from  the 
bull's  horns,  and  are  armed  with  long  poles  having  short  spikes  in 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  126 

them,  with  which  they  torture  the  bull.  The  banderilleros  are 
the  men  who  plant  a  sort  of  dart  (called  a  banderilla),  about  two 
feet  long,  in  the  bull's  neck  to  assist  in  torturing  him.  These 
banderillas  are  covered  with  gayly-colored  paper  and  have  sharp 
barbed  spikes  in  them.  The  capeadores  each  have  bright-colored 
shawls  or  cloaks  in  order  to  attract  and  worry  the  bulls.  A  chulo 
consists  of  three  horses  harnessed  abreast,  dragging  a  large  hook, 
used  to  drag  out  dead  bodies.  The  bull-fighters  are  dressed  in  knee- 
breeches,  gayly-trimmed  jackets,  and  have  their  hair  done  up  in  a 
long  queue.  Suddenly  a  bugle  near  the  president's  box  sounded, 
the  picadores  (generally  two)  and  the  capeadores  (generally  six) 
entered  the  ring,  and  the  first  stage  of  the  fight  was  about  to  com- 
mence. A  gate  was  opened  and  the  first  bull  appeared.  He  was 
quite  a  ferocious  one,  and  as,  according  to  custom,  he  had  been  well 
tortured  until  he  was  frantic  with  rage,  he  at  once  charged  for  the 
first  object  that  met  his  eyes,  which  happened  to  be  the  tiger  in  the 
cage.  He  struck  the  cage  a  heavy  blow,  which  shook  it  well  and 
made  us  feel  rather  uneasy  for  fear  he  would  knock  it  down  and  thus 
liberate  the  tiger.  Happily,  it  stood  that  and  subsequent  charges 
of  the  other  bulls.  Now  the  sport  commenced.  The  capeadores 
flung  their  bright  cloaks  in  the  bull's  face,  thus  attracting  him 
away  from  the  cage,  and  he  dashed  madly  after  first  one  and  then 
the  other,  but  they  always  skilfully  avoided  him,  though  some- 
times he  would  press  them  so  closely  that  they  would  have  to 
retreat  behind  the  shields.  Occasionally  a  shawl  would  catch  on 
his  horns,  when  he  would  stand  and  stamp  on  it,  and  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  draw  him  away  from  it.  The  picadores  now  began  to  tor- 
ment him  by  pricking  him  with  their  lances.  They  would  drive 
their  horses  up  to  him,  they  being  unconscious  of  their  danger  on 
account  of  being  blindfolded.  Several  times  the  bull  charged  the 
horses,  but  the  picadores  warded  him  ofiT  with  their  lances.  At  last 
he  saw  his  opportunity,  and  with  lowering  head  he  charged  one  of 
the  horses  and  drove  one  of  his  sharp  horns  deep  into  his  breast 
This  brought  down  the  house,  and  cries  of  "  Bravo,  toro !"  (Well 

9 


126  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

done,  bull !)  were  heard  od  all  sides.  We  looked  upon  it  in  a  dif- 
ferent light,  for  it  was  a  sickening  spectacle  to  witness  the  poor 
brute  tottering  around  the  ring  with  his  life's  blood  pouring  from 
the  gaping  wound.  The  horse  was  at  once  led  out  of  the  ring, 
and  was  in  all  probability  soon  released  from  his  sufferings.  After 
all,  it  is  probably  about  as  easy  a  death  as  a  horse  could  die. 
These  horses  are  not  valuable  ones,  in  fact,  they  are  generally  very 
poor  ones,  so  their  loss  is  not  missed.  Another  horse  was  at  once 
furnished  the  dismounted  picador,  who  was  loudly  applauded  for 
his  success  in  getting  his  horse  killed.  The  bull  now  charged 
another  rider,  dismounted  him,  killed  his  horse,  which  fell  on 
him,  but  before  the  bull  could  injure  him  his  attention  was 
drawn  away  by  the  ever-active  capeadores,  and  he  was  extracted 
from  his  perilous  position  by  his  comrades. 

A  bugle  announced  the  second  stage  in  the  fight.  The  remain- 
ing picador  withdrew,  and  several  banderilleros  entered  the  ring. 
Each  man  was  armed  with  two  of  the  sharp-barbed  banderillas, 
and  pointing  them  towards  the  bull  invited  him  to  charge,  which 
he  promptly  did,  the  banderillero  skilfully  planting  his  banderillas 
into  his  neck,  at  the  same  time  nimbly  jumping  aside  to  avoid  the 
bull's  horns.  This  operation  was  repeated  until  about  six  ban- 
derillas were  hanging  in  the  bull's  neck.  They  seemed  to  make 
him  more  frantic  than  ever,  and  he  bellowed  and  tore  around  the 
ring  and  endeavored  to  shake  the  banderillas  out,  but  being  barbed 
they  kept  in  place.  The  bull  by  this  time  having  been  worked  up 
sufficiently,  the  bugle  again  sounded,  and  the  third  and  final  stage 
in  the  fight  commenced.  The  banderilleros  withdrew.  It  will  be 
observed  that  the  capeadores  remain  in  the  ring  all  the  time  in 
order  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  bull  from  a  closely-pressed 
comrade.  The  matador  now  entered.  In  his  right  hand  he 
carried  a  long,  straight,  double-edged  sword,  and  in  his  left  a 
bright-red  cloak.  Bowing  to  the  president,  he  advanced  to  the 
assault  and  flung  his  cloak  in  the  bull's  face,  being  assisted  by  the 
capeadores.     On  came  the  bull,  but  the  matador  nimbly  stepped 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  127 

aside,  which  he  did  several  times,  in  order,  probably,  to  get  ac- 
customed to  the  bull's  movements.  At  last  he  took  his  position, 
and  firm  as  a  rock  he  stood,  whilst  he  held  out  his  cloak  to  invite 
attack,  and  steadied  his  sword  for  the  death-blow.  Again  the  bull 
advanced,  and  just  as  it  appeared  as  if  he  would  be  transfixed  by 
the  bull's  horns,  he  quickly  stepped  aside  to  the  left,  and  with 
sure  aim  drove  his  sharp  sword  to  the  hilt  into  the  bull  just 
behind  the  fore-shoulder.  It  was  a  fatal  stroke.  The  bull  stood 
still  for  a  moment,  whilst  the  ground  turned  crimson  with  bis 
blood,  then  tottered  and  fell  dead.  A  deafening  cheer  greeted  the 
victorious  matador,  which  he  graciously  acknowledged  by  bowing 
to  his  admirers.  The  chulo  entered,  its  hook  was  hooked  into  a 
strap  around  the  bull's  horns,  and  he  was  dragged  out  amidst  the 
music  of  the  band  and  the  shouts  of  the  audience.  The  ring  was 
now  cleared  for  the  next  bull.  He  and  the  subsequent  one  were 
not  as  savage  as  the  first,  and  afforded  very  little  amusement. 
Neither  of  them  would  attack  the  horses,  so  we  were  spared  that 
sickening  sight. 

During  the  fight  with  this  second  bull  cries  of  "  Fuego  ! 
fuego !"  (Fire  !  fire  !)  were  heard  on  all  sides.  We  could  not 
at  first  understand  the  meaning  of  this  till  a  banderillero  armed 
with  a  banderilla,  to  all  appearances  like  the  others,  approached 
the  bull  and  threw  it  into  his  neck.  Smoke  instantly  appeared 
where  it  struck,  followed  by  a  small  explosion,  apparently  under 
the  bull's  skin.  It  was  probably  some  sort  of  fulminate  attached 
to  the  banderilla.  This  aroused  the  bull  for  a  few  moments,  and 
he  charged  right  and  left,  but  he  soon  quieted  down,  and  the 
matador  was  called  in  to  finish  him.  Neither  he  nor  the  last 
matador  were  as  skilful  as  the  first  one,  and  each  had  to  make 
several  thrusts  before  they  inflicted  a  fatal  wound.  Sometimes  a 
bull  is  so  poor  that  he  has  to  be  lassooed  and  dragged  out  of  the 
ring.  The  cage  proved  to  be  an  obstacle  to  the  sport,  as  it  ob- 
structed the  view,  and  the  bulls  invariably  retreated  to  it  and 
ran  round  and  round  it,  making  it  difficult  to  get  at  them.     The 


128  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

bull  in  the  cage  and  the  tiger,  attracted  by  the  noise,  the  bright 
robes,  and  the  smell  of  blood,  became  uneasy  and  restless,  and 
doubtless  desired  to  get  out  and  have  their  share  of  the  fun. 
Preparations  were  then  made  for  the  fight  between  the  bull  and 
the  tiger. 

The  tiger  was  what  is  known  as  a  Paraguayan  tiger.  He  was 
more  like  a  leopard,  being  marked  similar  to  that  animal,  and  was 
a  beautiful  beast,  and  was  about  five  feet  long.  A  number  of  men 
entered  the  ring  and  commenced  pulling  out  the  boards  that  sepa- 
rated the  two  animals.  This  seemed  to  displease  the  bull,  and  as 
the  lower  boards  were  about  half-way  out  he  charged  and  broke 
them  and  then  made  a  rush  for  the  tiger.  Every  one  thought 
that  it  was  all  up  for  the  tiger,  but  quick  as  lightning  he  slipped 
between  the  bull's  horns  and  over  his  back,  being  assisted  some- 
what by  a  toss  of  the  latter's  head.  This  was  repeated  several 
times,  but  in  each  case  the  tiger  came  out  unhurt.  Not  so  with 
the  bull,  for  several  times  the  tiger  would  mount  his  head,  get  his 
ear  between  his  sharp  teeth,  and  at  the  same  time  make  some  ugly 
scratches  on  his  forehead  with  his  hind  paws.  The  tiger  acted 
entirely  on  the  defensive,  and  it  was  only  when  he  was  attacked 
that  he  would  strike  back.  Once  or  twice  when  attacked  he  would 
crouch  so  low  that  the  bull's  horns  would  pass  over  him.  His 
coming  out  of  the  combat  unhurt  showed  his  ability,  like  all 
animals,  to  defend  himself  and  avoid  danger.  It  is  needless  to 
say  that  had  the  bull  succeeded  in  once  getting  his  horns  into  him 
there  would  have  been  no  more  tiger.  After  about  fifteen  min- 
utes of  this  decidedly  tame  combat  neither  animal  seemed  inclined 
to  molest  the  other  and  they  retreated  to  opposite  sides  of  the 
cage,  and  doubtless  would  have  remained  there  for  an  indefinite 
period  if  they  had  been  let  alone.  The  bull  bellowed  and  plainly 
showed  that  he  had  had  enough  of  the  tiger's  teeth  and  claws. 
The  attendants  now  tried  to  stir  them  up  by  poking  them  with 
sticks  and  by  holding  a  bright  cloak  near  the  tiger  to  induce  the 
bull  to  charge,  but  they  preferred  to  let  each  other  severely  alone. 


THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  129 

As  a  final  eflFort  and  in  response  to  the  call  of  "  fuego,"  a  ban- 
derillero  threw  one  of  the  explosive  banderillas  into  the  bull's 
neck.  The  smoke  and  explosion  somewhat  frightened  both  ani- 
mals and  induced  the  bull  to  make  one  more  charge,  which  the 
tiger,  as  heretofore,  avoided.  After  that  nothing  would  move  the 
animals,  and  everybody  being  tired  of  the  farce  it  was  decided  to 
separate  them  and  bring  the  scene  to  an  end.  This  proved  as 
amusing  as  the  fight.  The  tiger's  cage  was  brought  into  the  ring, 
its  door  raised  and  placed  against  the  door  of  the  big  cage,  which 
was  then  raised  and  the  tiger  was  invited  to  enter  his  home,  but 
he  was  in  the  opposite  corner  of  the  cage  and  had  no  idea  of 
moving.  A  man  then  slipped  a  lasso  inside  the  cage,  slipped  it 
over  the  bull's  horns,  and  leading  it  towards  the  tiger,  hauled  the 
bull  in  that  direction.  The  tiger  at  once  retreated  to  the  other 
corner,  but  still  would  not  enter  his  cage.  Then  the  lasso  was  let 
go  and  attempts  were  made  to  slip  in  the  boards  in  order  to  sepa- 
rate the  animals,  but  this  enraged  the  bull,  so  he  charged  and  broke 
the  boards,  so  they  had  to  haul  him  over  again  with  the  lasso,  and 
then  by  keeping  it  fast  the  boards  were  slipped  in  position  and 
bull  and  tiger  were  finally  separated.  We  feared  that  by  some 
accident  the  tiger  might  get  loose,  and  several  talked  of  climbing 
over  the  roof  of  the  boxes  in  our  rear  in  case  that  should  happen, 
but  our  minds  were  somewhat  relieved  by  noticing  a  couple  of 
soldiers,  said  to  be  dead-shots,  standing  ready  with  loaded  rifles. 
We  soon  afterwards  left,  leaving  the  attendants  still  making  unsuc- 
cessful efforts  to  get  the  tiger  into  his  own  cage.  How  long  they 
worked  we  know  not.  We  returned  to  the  city  for  dinner  rather 
disgusted  with  the  whole  aff^air. 

During  April,  1883,  we  experienced  a  number  of  "  pamperos," 
in  one  of  which  most  all  the  men-of-war  in  the  harbor  got  up 
steam  to  guard  against  the  possibility  of  dragging.  We,  however, 
only  found  it  necessary  to  let  go  our  port  sheet-anchor  and  to 
veer  to  a  long  scope  of  chain  on  our  bowers.     These  "  pamperos" 


130  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

are  usually  accompanied  by  fine  clear  weather  OTerhead,  and  are 
only  specially  disagreeable  in  that  they  cause  such  a  rough  sea 
that  it  cuts  off  communication  with  the  shore. 

The  harbor,  or,  strictly  speaking,  the  roadstead  of  Montevideo, 
is  shoal  and  very  much  exposed  to  southeast  and  southwest  winds, 
which  raise  a  high  sea  very  suddenly. 

The  Uruguayan  legislature  very  wisely  passed  a  law  appropri- 
ating ten  million  dollars  for  improvements  to  be  made  in  the 
harbor.  The  nature  and  extent  of  these  improvements  are  not 
specified  in  the  law,  and  it  is  doubtful  when  the  work  will  be 
commenced.  However,  it  is  at  least  gratifying  to  know  that  the 
authorities  are  beginning  to  see  the  importance  of  improving  the 
port,  which  in  the  natural  course  of  events  must  become  one  of 
the  great  commercial  emporiums  of  the  world. 

Cibil's  dry-dock  is  being  constantly  improved,  and  the  channel 
was  deepened  one  foot  during  the  years  1881  and  1882,  so 
that  seventeen  feet  is  the  least  depth  in  the  channel  at  low- water. 
A  number  of  vessels  were  repaired  in  this  dock,  among  which 
were  the  Italian  ram  "  Scylla"  and  both  vessels  of  the  Uruguayan 
navy. 

In  April,  1882,  the  American  whaling  bark  "  Ida"  came  in  the 
harbor,  which  recalled  the  by-gone  days  of  blubber  and  bone,  and 
as  she  passed  by  and  gracefully  dipped  her  colors,  we  almost 
thought  we  heard  the  lookout's  cheery  hail  of  "  There  she  blows!" 
which  would  bring  all  hands  on  deck  in  intense  excitement  to  see 
"  where  away,"  and  prepare  for  chase. 

This  is  the  only  American  arrival  in  contrast  with  the  fleet  of 
iron  and  steel  European  steamers  constantly  visiting  this  port. 
The  American  whaler  was  in  her  day  the  best.  Let  us  hope  that 
when  we  do  enter  the  lists  again  for  the  commerce  of  the  world, 
our  steamers  will  stand  first  in  every  desirable  quality. 

The  only  recent  improvement  in  the  United  States  navy  is  a 
general  order  from  the  Honorable  Secretary  of  the  Navy  by  which 
the  titles  of  master  and  midshipman  are  abolished,  the  former  to 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  131 

be  known  as  lieutenants  of  a  junior  grade,  and  the  latter  as  ensigns 
of  a  junior  grade.  There  is  no  change  in  the  uniform  or  pay  of 
these  ofl&cers,  but  our  midshipmen  will  receive  regular  commis- 
sions as  ensigns  of  the  junior  grade,  and  thus  obtain  proper  recog- 
nition of  their  age  and  merit  in  the  service. 

RIVER  PLATE  NAVAL  NOTES. 

lu  April,  1883,  the  English  navy  was  represented  at  Monte- 
video by  the  "Amethyst,"  "  Rifleman,"  "Rambler,"  and  "Sylvia." 
The  first  two  were  at  anchor  at  Colonia.  The  "  Sylvia"  was  on 
surveying  duty,  and  was  recently  employed  in  the  Straits  of  Ma- 
gellan as  one  of  the  Transit  of  Venus  parties.  The  "  Firefly"  sailed 
for  England  to  go  out  of  commission.  The  ironclad  "  Constance" 
and  gunboat  "  Gannett"  touched  here  on  their  way  to  and  from 
the  Pacific  respectively. 

The  French  navy  had  the  "  Segond"  and  "  Tactique,"  while  the 
gunboat "  Kerguelen"  visited  the  port  about  the  first  of  the  month 
on  her  way  to  the  Pacific  Station. 

The  German  gunboat  "  Albatross,"  Italian  ram  "  Scylla,"  the 
Spanish  gunboat  "  Africa,"  and  the  Argentine  monitor  "  Los 
Andes"  did  not  move  from  their  anchorage  since  our  arrival.  The 
Brazilian  ironclad  "  Sete  de  Setembro"  recently  made  a  short 
cruise  down  the  river.  The  Argentine  torpedo-boat  "  Maipu" 
and  the  Paraguayan  gunboat  "  Pirapo"  arrived  in  the  harbor  on 
May  15,  1883.  The  "  Pirapo"  is  the  only  vessel  of  the  Para- 
guayan navy.  She  was  formerly  the  Italian  gunboat  "  Constance," 
and  on  arriving  here  saluted  all  the  men-of-war  with  five  guns 
each. 

Paraguay  adjoins  the  northwestern  boundary  of  Uruguay,  and 
is  famous  in  history  for  its  gallant  defence  against  the  allied  forces 
of  Brazil,  Uruguay,  and  the  Argentine  Confederation  in  the  event- 
ful Paraguayan  war  from  1865  to  1870.  Paraguay  lost  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy  thousand  men  in  battle  and  by  disease  in  these 
five  years  of  war,  and  the  effect  is  even  felt  at  present  in  the  great 


132  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

lack  of  males  in  the  population.  One  of  the  most  memorable  naval 
battles  was  an  attempt  to  capture  a  fleet  of  Brazilian  ironclads  at 
anchor  in  the  Paraguay  River  near  Concepcion.  The  Paraguay- 
ans drifted  down  the  stream  on  trees,  by  which  they  surprised  and 
gained  possession  of  the  deck  of  one  of  the  vessels  but  could  not 
get  below,  as  the  iron  shutters  on  the  casemate  ports  and  hatches 
were  closed.  The  other  Brazilian  vessels  slipped  their  cables  and 
finally  shelled  the  Paraguayans  on  the  deck  of  their  surprised 
vessel  and  drove  them  oflf. 

President  Lincoln  had  some  difficulty  with  Lopez  previous  to 
this  war,  arising  from  a  misunderstanding  with  the  United  States 
and  Paraguayan  Steamship  Company,  founded  by  some  enterpris- 
ing citizens  of  Philadelphia ;  this  was  finally  settled  amicably 
by  commissioners  appointed  for  the  purpose.  Those  who  wish 
further  information  as  to  the  history  of  this  country  are  referred 
to  the  Hon.  C.  A.  Washburn's  "  History  of  Paraguay,"  published 
in  Boston  in  1871.  Since  the  death  of  Lopez,  the  great  Para- 
guayan dictator,  the  country  has  been  peacefully  developing  its 
own  resources.  The  yerba  mat6  is  produced  there  almost  exclu- 
sively, and  forms  the  chief  article  of  export. 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  133 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Arrival  of  Commodore  Phelps  to  take  Command  of  South  Atlantic  Squadron 
— Inspection  of  the  "Brooklyn" — Highly  Creditable  Performance  of  the 
Ship's  Company  in  the  Examination  by  New  Commander-in-Chief —Time 
made  in  DiflFerent  Exercises — Efficiency  of  the  Ship — Departure  of  the 
"  Galena"  for  the  United  States — Revised  List  of  the  Officers  of  the 
"Brooklyn" — Ordered  to  Madagascar — Departure  for  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope — The  Cruise  across  the  South  Atlantic — Catching  Albatross — Arrival 
at  Cape  Town — Full  Description  of  Cape  Town  and  Cape  Colony — History 
of  Cape  Colony — The  Renowned  Docks  at  Cape  Town — General  Liberty  for 
the  Ship's  Company — The  "  Brooklyn"  in  the  Dry-Dock — Description  of  a 
Dinner- Party  given  by  the  Officers'  Mess  of  the  famous  Highland  Regiment, 
Princess  Louise's  Own — The  African  Diamond-Fields — History  of  Dia- 
mond Mines  in  South  Africa — Penalty  for  Illicit  Diamond  Buying — De- 
parture of  the  "  Brooklyn"  for  Madagascar — Events  of  the  Voyage  in  the 
Indian  Ocean. 

Sunday,  June  3,  Commodore  T.  S.  Phelps,  U.  S.  N.,  arrived 
at  Montevideo  after  an  exceedingly  annoying  quarantine  of  eleven 
days  at  Flores  Island.  The  health  of  the  steamer  "  Valparaiso," 
in  which  the  commodore  came  from  Liverpool,  was  exceptionally 
good,  but  these  quarantine  regulations  were,  though  useless,  rigidly 
enforced,  simply  because  the  steamer  had  come  from  Rio.  The 
commodore  and  Mrs.  Phelps  took  up  their  quarters  at  the  Hotel 
Oriental. 

Tuesday,  June  5,  the  commodore,  accompanied  by  his  son, 
Lieutenant  T.  S.  Phelps,  came  on  board  at  11.30  a.m.  and  for- 
mally assumed  command  of  the  United  States  naval  force  on  this 
station.  The  reception  was  as  prescribed  by  regulations  :  the  crew 
at  quarters,  on  port  side,  the  marine  guard  drawn  up  at  "  present 
arms,"  while  the  drum  gave  two  ruffles  and  the  band  played 
"  Hail  to  the  Chief"  as  he  stepped  over  the  side.  The  officers, 
in  full-dress  uniform,  were  ranged  on  the  starboard  side  of  the 


134  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

quarter-deck,  and  each  was  presented  by  Captain  Weaver  as  he 
walked  afl.  The  commodore's  broad  pennant  was  then  broken  at 
the  main  and  a  salute  of  eleven  guns  fired  from  the  saluting  bat- 
tery on  the  forecastle.  This  completed  the  ceremony,  after  which 
the  commodore  issued  Squadron  Order  No.  1,  assuming  command 
of  the  South  Atlantic  Station,  and  Order  No.  2,  in  which  he  an- 
nounced his  staff.  Both  of  these  orders  were  read  on  the  Sunday 
following  at  general  muster. 

Wednesday  the  commodore  visited  the  French  admiral,  and  the 
usual  salutes  were  exchanged.  The  commanding  oflBcers  of  the 
other  men-of-war  in  the  harbor  also  called  to  pay  their  respects,  as 
well  as  the  French  admiral,  who  returned  the  commodore's  visit. 
The  commodore  returned  all  these  visits  in  the  course  of  the  same 
week. 

Thursday,  June  7,  the  "  Brooklyn"  was  thoroughly  inspected 
as  to  efficiency  prescribed  in  ordnance  instructions.  The  in- 
spection consisted  of  a  thorough  examination  of  the  ship.  This 
was  followed  by  a  review  of  the  battalion  at  dress  parade,  the 
pioneers  on  the  poop,  marines  on  the  right,  two  companies  of 
sailors  as  infantry,  and  one  as  artillery  with  two  guns.  After  the 
parade  the  companies  marched  off,  and  each  was  inspected  by  the 
commodore  and  staff  in  the  different  exercises.  The  artillery 
formed  on  the  topgallant  forecastle,  and  went  through  the  details 
of  the  drill  with  creditable  accuracy.  The  evolution  of  dismount- 
ing was  exceedingly  well  done,  and  elicited  the  decided  approval 
of  Captain  Weaver  and  all  who  witnessed  it.  The  second  com- 
pany was  drilled  as  infantry,  and  executed  the  details  of  the  drill 
of  the  manual  of  arms  with  great  precision,  especially  that  of 
"  loading  and  firing  kneeling."  The  marines  won  great  credit ; 
the  silent  drill  being  especially  commendable. 

Immediately  after  these  drills  all  boats  were  called  away  "  armed 
and  equipped  for  an  expedition  for  cutting  out."  The  average 
time  required  for  all  the  boats  to  be  ready  was  three  minutes  and 
forty-two  seconds,  the  second  cutter  being  first,  in  two  minutes. 


THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  135 

There  was  no  evolution  of  the  flotilla,  but,  upon  returning,  each 
boat  was  inspected,  and  all  the  equipments  and  armaments  were 
found  to  be  at  hand  and  in  good  order. 

After  hoisting  the  boats  all  hands  were  piped  to  dinner,  and  at 
1.20  P.M.  the  inspection  was  resumed  by  clearing  ship  for  action. 
This  required  seven  minutes  and  fifty  seconds.  Upon  going  to 
general  quarters  the  divisions  were  reported  ready  in  the  following 
times : 

Hinntea.    Seconds. 

First  division 1  27 

Second     " 1  25 

Third      " 1  02 

Fourth     " 1  01 

Navigator's  division 1  00 

Powder  "  1  50 

Engineer's         "  2  00 

Surgeon's  "  2  00 

Marines 2  30 

The  third  division  was  then  exercised  at  shifting  a  9-inch  gun, 
and  this  required  one  minute  and  forty  seconds,  and  then  two  guns 
on  the  quarter-deck  were  transported  to  opposite  sides  of  the  deck 
from  fire  to  fire  in  one  minute  and  forty-five  seconds. 

Seconds. 

To  shift  breeching 15 

To  shift  trucks 8 

To  shift  tackles 20 

To  run  out,  tackles  shot  away 19 

The  pivot  guns  were  then  exercised  at  shifting  from  side  to 
side.  The  8-inch  rifle  was  shifted  from  side  to  side  in  eighty  sec- 
onds, and  the  60-pounder  in  thirty-three  seconds  from  fire  to  fire. 
The  "  Brooklyn's"  8-inch,  however,  owing  to  the  short  slide,  requires 
three  shifts,  and  cannot  be  swung  around  in  one,  which,  therefore, 
necessitates  three  times  as  much  time  than  if  fitted  with  a  slide  of 
proper  length. 

A  torpedo  was  exploded  ftom  the  steam-launch  and  also  from 


136  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

the  forward  starboard  boom.  The  latter  was  a  very  pretty  sight, 
as  it  threw  up  a  column  of  water  about  fifty  feet  high. 

The  powder  division  also  proved  highly  efficient  under  the  com- 
mand of  Ensign  H.  P.  Huse,  who  was  ordered  to  the  ship  from  the 
"  Galena"  by  Commodore  Phelps  the  day  aft;er  he  assumed  com- 
mand. 

The  men  were  catechised  as  to  their  knowledge  of  the  guns, 
and  evinced  very  good  training.  The  boarders  were  also  drilled, 
supported  by  riflemen,  and  all  the  other  evolutions  usual  to  these 
exercises  were  creditably  performed,  showing  a  very  marked 
improvement  since  the  last  inspection. 

The  "  Galena"  was  inspected  on  Saturday,  June  9,  and  also 
passed  a  very  creditable  inspection.  It  would  be  difficult  to  draw 
comparisons,  as  where  one  excelled  in  some  details  the  other  sur- 
passed her  in  others,  and  both  were  very  good. 

The  commodore  expressed  himself  highly  gratified  as  to  the 
cleanliness  and  efficient  condition  in  which  he  found  both  vessels. 

Tuesday,  June  12,  we  got  under  way  at  8.30  a.m.,  and  steamed 
down  the  river  for  target-practice  with  great  guns.  In  this  we 
were  also  fortunate,  as  the  practice  was  excellent.  William  Eske, 
captain  of  forecastle,  fired  the  first  shot  from  the  60-pounder  rifle 
and  struck  the  stafi*  of  the  target  just  at  the  water-line ;  the  shot 
passed  clean  through  and  exploded  afterwards.  It  was  a  perfect 
shot  and  completely  demolished  the  target.  The  wreck  of  the 
target  was  recovered  and  another  one  rigged,  but  this  shared  a 
similar  fate,  being  carried  away  by  a  shell  fired  from  No.  8  gun  by 
Ronald  Ford,  landsman.  The  other  shots  were  all  very  good,  and 
this  was  the  best  practice  we  ever  had. 

After  this  we  anchored  in  the  river,  and  continued  the  exercises 
by  firing  with  the  machine-guns,  the  Hotchkiss  rifle,  and  small- 
arms.  That  night  we  were  totally  surprised  by  being  suddenly 
aroused  by  the  signal  to  general  quarters.  The  men  rushed  on 
deck  with  their  hammocks,  and  all  the  gun  divisions  fired  primers 
and  were  ready  for  second  fire  in  remarkably  quick  time. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  137 

The  next  day  we  got  under  way  and  returned  to  our  former 
anchorage  without  any  further  incident.  After  the  return  all 
hands  were  allowed  a  month's  pay  and  general  liberty  in  detach- 
ments of  about  thirty  men  at  a  time. 

During  the  months  of  May  and  June  we  joined  in  dressing 
ship  and  saluting  on  the  following  foreign  holidays :  May  24,  the 
birthday  of  the  Queen  of  England;  May  25,  the  independence 
of  the  Spanish- American  republics ;  June  3,  the  birthday  of  the 
Queen  of  Italy ;  and  on  June  20,  the  coronation  day  of  the  Queen 
of  England. 

Thursday,  June  21,  we  received  an  official  visit  from  the  Uru- 
guayan Minister  of  War  and  Marine,  with  the  captain  of  the 
port  and  a  very  numerous  staff,  who  wore  most  brilliant  uniforms 
and  created  a  very  fine  impression  during  their  short  stay  on 
board.  These  distinguished  gentlemen  made  this  visit  in  return 
to  that  which  Commodore  Phelps  and  his  staff  paid  to  His  Ex- 
cellency President  Santos  the  day  before  at  his  official  residence 
in  Montevideo.  The  visitors  were  received  on  board  by  Commo- 
dore Phelps,  Captain  Weaver,  and  the  commodore's  personal  staff. 
The  marine  guard  was  in  full-dress  uniform  and  made  a  very  fine 
appearance,  as  usual,  when  they  came  to  "  present  arms"  as  the 
distinguished  party  came  over  the  gangway.  The  commodore 
then  escorted  the  Minister  of  War  to  the  cabin,  where  they  were 
followed  by  the  rest  of  the  distinguished  party.  In  the  cabin 
mutual  expressions  of  regard  were  exchanged,  congratulating  each 
other  upon  the  prosperity  which  both  republics  are  enjoying,  and 
the  friendly  relations  which  have  always  existed  between  them. 
The  party  left  at  2.30  P.M.,  and  when  their  boat  was  well  clear  of 
the  ship  we  fired  a  salute  of  seventeen  guns,  with  the  Uruguayan 
flag  at  the  fore. 

Lieutenant  A.  M.  Knight  was  detached  from  this  ship  the  same 
day,  and  ordered  back  to  the  "  Galena."  He  was  ordered  to  this 
ship  temporarily  last  January,  just  before  we  sailed  for  Santa  Cms 
the  second  time.    He  was  the  junior  watch  officer,  and  during  the 


138  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

six  moDths  we  had  the  pleasure  of  his  company  he  made  a  host 
of  friends,  and  all  were  sorry  he  left. 

Sunday,  June  24,  Fleet  Pay-Clerk  B.  W.  Goldsborough  was 
jletached  from  this  ship  and  ordered  home,  his  appointment 
having  been  revoked  at  his  own  request.  He  has  his  degree  as 
doctor  of  medicine  and  surgery  from  the  University  of  Virginia, 
but  his  health  was  very  delicate  and  he  was  greatly  benefited  by 
this  cruise.  His  duties  as  fleet  pay-clerk  necessitated  his  living 
ashore  with  Admiral  Crosby  while  we  were  on  the  Transit  of 
Venus  expedition,  and  while  there  he  devoted  himself  to  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  the  hospitals  at  Montevideo.  He 
served  as  a  volunteer  assistant  to  Dr.  Fleury,  the  most  eminent 
surgeon  in  the  city,  and  he  thus  had  some  golden  opportunities 
for  practising  his  chosen  profession.  He  was  uniformly  successful 
in  every  case  he  had,  and  gave  promise  of  a  most  successful  career 
of  usefulness.  Dr.  Goldsborough  was  very  much  beloved  by  both 
the  officers  and  men,  and  we  all  regret  being  deprived  of  his  com- 
pany the  rest  of  the  cruise.  He  sailed  in  the  Lamport  &  Holt 
steamer  "  Maskelyn"  for  Liverpool,  and  from  thence  to  New 
York,  whence  he  went  to  his  home  in  Cambridge,  Maryland. 

Monday,  June  25,  the  "  Galena"  got  under  way  and  went  down 
the  river  for  exercise  and  to  determine  heeling  error  and  tactical 
diameter.     She  returned  on  Wednesday,  June  27. 

The  Fourth  of  July  was  observed  by  dressing  ship  with  mast- 
head flags,  in  which  all  the  men-of-war  in  harbor  joined,  and  by 
firing  a  salute  of  twenty-one  guns  at  noon,  which  was  also  done 
by  the  fort  on  shore  and  the  French  flag-ship  "  Minerve."  The 
English  ship  "  Amethyst"  did  not  fire  a  salute,  as  she  uses  her 
heavy  guns  for  that  purpose,  and  the  harbor  regulations  prohibit 
the  firing  of  these  guns  inside  of  a  line  from  the  Point  to  the 
Cerro.  Our  genial  minister,  Hon.  W.  Williams,  had  a  large  re- 
ception at  the  United  States  Legation  on  shore.  Mrs.  Phelps, 
Mrs.  Chaplain  Royce,  Mrs.  Russell,  Mrs.  Howard,  and  Mrs. 
Crocker  assisted  Mrs.  Williams  in  receiving  their  callers,  among 


THE  CRUISE  OF   THE  BROOKLYN.  139 

whom  were  Commodore  Phelps,  Captain  Weaver,  and  most  of  the 
officers  of  this  squadron,  while  all  the  members  of  the  diplomatic 
corps,  and  nearly  all  of  the  very  few  Americans  in  town,  called 
during  the  afternoon.  The  Fourth  of  July  is  well  known  in  all 
these  South  American  countries,  and  such  observances  of  the  day 
serve  to  keep  up  the  cordial  relations  existing  between  the  Ameri- 
can republics.  In  the  evening  Mr.  W.  D.  Evans  gave  an  immense 
banquet  at  his  quinta  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city.  This  banquet 
was  a  magnificent  entertainment.  The  table  was  set  for  sixty  per- 
sons in  the  pavilion  of  his  house.  The  decorations  were  very 
rich,  and  the  dinner  was  all  that  an  epicure  could  desire.  It 
was  essentially  democratic  in  general  tone,  and  our  distinguished 
minister,  the  Hon.  W.  Williams,  made  a  stirring  speech,  than 
which  nothing  could  be  more  truly  representative  of  our  people  at 
home. 

At  three  P.M.,  July  5,  the  XJ.  S.  S.  "  Galena"  got  under  way 
and  steamed  out  of  the  harbor  for  home.  As  she  passed  by  we 
manned  the  rigging  and  gave  three  rousing  cheers,  to  which  she 
responded  with  a  will.  Her  men  threw  their  caps  overboard  in 
great  glee,  and  several  enterprising  enthusiasts  took  pigeons  and 
roosters  aloft  with  them  to  carry  their  farewell  tokens  ashore. 
During  this  time  our  band  played  "  Home,  Sweet  Home,"  which 
must  have  sounded  in  harmony  with  their  feelings  after  such  a 
long,  dreary  absence  from  those  most  dear.  All  hands  were  on 
deck  to  see  the  graceful  ship  steam  out,  and  watch  the  streaming 
homeward-bound  pennant,  four  hundred  feet  long,  until  she  was 
fairly  hull  down  to  seaward.  W.  H.  Knoblesdorf,  C.  P.  Gibbons, 
J.  I.  Hanshe,  and  E.  A.  Shaw,  four  of  our  naval  apprentices, 
Daniel  Shelly,  ordinary  seaman,  and  Robert  Lee,  landsman,  were 
transferred  to  the  "  Galena"  a  few  hours  before  she  sailed,  while 
we  received  F.  A.  Richardson,  landsman,  and  William  Lally,  pri- 
vate marine,  from  the  "  Galena."  The  "  Galena"  stopped  at 
Bahia,  and  then  proceeded  to  the  United  States.  She  made  a  very 
fine  cruise,  having  spent  two  years  out  of  the  three  in  the  Medi- 


140  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

terranean,  and  having  had  very  easy  duty  on  this  station,  while 
we  did  the  work. 

We  dressed  ship  on  the  9th  of  July,  the  anniversary  of  the 
ratification  of  the  constitution  of  the  Argentine  Republic,  on  July 
14,  the  national  fete  day  of  the  French  republic,  being  the  anniver- 
sary of  the  storming  of  the  Bastille,  and  on  the  18th  of  July,  the 
anniversary  of  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  of  Uruguay,  on  each 
of  which  occasions  we  fired  national  salutes  of  twenty-one  guns. 

The  weather  during  July  was  about  as  bad  as  can  be  imagined. 
It  rained  in  torrents  a  great  deal  of  the  time,  and  for  the  remain- 
der it  blew  heavy  gales,  and  necessitated  veering  chain  and  letting 
go  the  sheet-anchor. 

REVISED  LIST  OP  OFFICERS  OF   THE  "BROOKLYN." 

Commodore  T.  S.  Phelps,  commander-in-chief  of  the  U.  S. 
naval  force  on  the  South  Atlantic  Station. 

Captain  A.  W.  Weaver,  commanding. 

Lieutenant-Commander  G.  E.  Wingate,  executive. 

Lieutenant  E.  W.  Watson,  navigator. 

Lieutenants  W.  H.  Beehler,  H.  0.  Handy,  T.  S.  Phelps, 
George  A.  Calhoun,  and  J,  J.  Hunker. 

Ensigns  H.  McL.  P.  Huse,  J.  Hood,  C.  S.  Ripley,  James  B. 
Cahoon,  John  A.  Bell,  and  T.  S.  Snowden. 

Medical  Inspector  C.  H.  Burbank,  Passed  Assistant  Surgeons 
H.  M.  Martin  and  J.  M.  Steel. 

Chief  Engineer  W.  W.  Dungan,  Passed  Assistant  Engineer  B. 
C.  Gowing,  and  Assistant  Engineer  S.  H.  Leonard. 

Paymaster  W.  Goldsborough  and  Pay-Clerk  T.  G.  Dawson. 

Captain  of  Marines  L.  E.  Fagan  and  Second  Lieutenant  of 
Marines  S.  L.  Jackson. 

Chaplain  A.  L.  Royce. 

Boatswain  Hallowell  Dickenson. 

Carpenter  J.  S.  Waltemeyer. 

Sailmaker  J.  T.  Bailey. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  141 

During  August  and  September  we  remained  at  Montevideo  to 
refit  preparatory  to  our  cruise  to  Madagascar.  In  sending  down 
the  topgallant-masts  at  exercise  on  the  20th  of  August  the  main- 
topmast  trestle-trees  were  discovered  to  be  broken,  and  when  sent 
down  the  fracture  was  found  to  be  of  some  years'  standing.  Our 
efficient  carpenter's  gang  made  new  ones,  but  for  two  weeks  the 
ship  looked  somewhat  dismantled  with  the  main-topsail  yard  on 
forward  edge  of  maintop  and  main-topmast  housed. 

The  "  Almirante  Brown,"  an  Argentine  man-of-war,  arrived 
on  August  21,  and  her  commander,  Commodore  B.  S.  Cordero, 
called  the  next  day,  which  visit  Commodore  Phelps  returned  on 
the  23d,  on  both  which  occasions  the  customary  salutes  were 
exchanged. 

On  August  25  we  dressed  ship  to  celebrate  the  Uruguayan  in- 
dependence day,  and  that  evening  there  was  a  special  performance 
of  Italian  opera  at  Solis  Theatre,  at  which  all  the  most  distin- 
guished people  of  the  city  were  present.  President  Santos  and 
his  staff  in  full-dress  uniform  occupied  the  centre  boxes,  to  which 
Captain  Weaver  and  other  commanding  officers  were  invited,  and 
sumptuously  entertained  at  a  banquet  in  the  foyer ;  at  the  festivi- 
ties of  the  following  day  Commodore  Phelps,  Captain  Weaver, 
and  the  personal  staff,  in  full-dress  uniform,  were  present  at  the 
special  "  Te  Deum,"  and  marched  in  the  procession  from  the  ca- 
thedral to  the  Government  House.  On  September  7  dressed  ship 
again,  and  fired  a  salute  of  twenty-one  guns  for  the  national 
independence  of  Brazil. 

The  "  Nipsic"  arrived  on  August  30,  and  on  September  6  En- 
sign F.  Swift  and  Naval  Cadets  R.  C.  Alexander,  C.  F.  Webster, 
and  R.  B.  Higgins  were  transferred  to  this  ship. 

August  24  a  gang  of  thirty- four  calkers  came  off  and  com- 
menced to  calk  the  ship  outside.  The  work  was  continued,  ex- 
cepting on  Sundays  and  stormy  days,  until  finished,  on  September 
12,  the  outsides  being  thoroughly  calked  from  the  water-line  up 
to  the  rail.     On  the  12th  and  part  of  the  13th  we  took  in  two 

10 


142  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

hundred  and  thirty-four  tons  of  ooal,  and  also  received  stores  for 
our  cruise  to  Africa. 

On  September  25  we  unmoored  and  steamed  to  the  outer 
offing  at  Montevideo.  In  heaving  in  another  shackle  was  found 
to  be  opening,  and  we  barely  managed  to  get  the  anchor  catted 
before  it  gave  way.  This  is  the  third  time  the  shackles  have 
opened,  and  we  were  very  fortunate  to  have  secured  the  anchor. 
A  moderate  gale  sprang  up  during  that  night  from  the  southeast, 
which  caused  a  very  rough  sea  and  delayed  our  departure  until 
the  next  day.  While  waiting  for  the  gale  to  subside  Mr.  Evans 
came  off  in  his  tug  with  three  large  beautiful  bouquets  for  the 
commander-in-chief,  Captain  Weaver,  and  the  wardroom  officers, 
as  a  farewell  compliment,  which  was  very  much  appreciated.  The 
mail  orderly  was  the  last  person  to  come  on  board  ;  he  came  off 
in  Mr.  Evans's  tug,  and  had  to  be  hoisted  on  board  by  a  whip  from 
the  main  yard-arm.  Sergeant  Eakins  is  so  much  of  a  soldier  that 
he  afforded  considerable  amusement  to  the  "  salts"  in  the  port 
gangway  as  he  endeavored  to  maintain  his  rigid  soldierly  bearing 
under  such  impossible  circumstances.  The  mail  had  arrived  that 
morning  from  Rio  by  the  Pacific  mail  steamer  "  Valparaiso."  which 
brought  us  dates  from  New  York  up  to  the  23d  of  August. 

We  got  under  way  at  eleven  A.M.  the  next  day,  September  27, 
and  steamed  down  the  river  to  below  Flores  Island,  where  we 
anchored  for  the  quarterly  target-practice.  Two  small  single  targets 
were  rigged  out  from  the  foretop-mast  studding-sail  booms,  at 
which  every  man  in  the  ship  fired  from  three  to  five  rounds  from 
the  Hotchkiss  platforms  with  the  Hotchkiss  magazine-rifles, — new 
model.  This  practice  was  very  fine:  the  bull's-eye  was  riddled. 
During  that  night  we  went  to  general  quarters,  "  lash  and  carry," 
the  gun  divisions  being  ready  for  first  fire  in  one  minute  and  fifty 
seconds,  and  for  second  fire  in  four  minutes  and  forty-five  seconds. 
At  9.30  the  next  day  we  had  torpedo  drill,  at  which  we  exploded  a 
tO-pound  exercise  torpedo  from  the  starboard  forward  boom,  and  a 
100-pound  ship's  spar-torpedo  from  the  port  boom.    The  shock  re- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  143 

minded  us  of  the  "  Mozart"  collision,  while  the  columD  of  water 
was  a  beautiful  sight  to  all  except  those  who  did  not  have  time  to 
get  from  under.  The  spar  was  carried  away,  though  the  sleeve  re- 
mained intact,  and  is  ready  for  further  service.  We  got  under  way 
immediately  after  this  exercise  and  steamed  down  the  river.  After 
dinner  we  went  to  general  quarters  again,  and  exercised  at  target- 
practice  with  the  port  battery.  The  ship  was  manoeuvred  around 
the  target,  and  six  rounds  fired  at  a  regulation  target  at  a  distance 
varying  from  one  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  yards.  The  practice 
was  only  tolerable,  and  is  not  to  be  compared  with  that  of  the  pre- 
vious quarter.  The  wind  was  across  the  line  of  fire  most  of  the 
time  and  the  ship  was  rolling  considerably,  which  made  the  practice 
much  more  difficult  than  hitherto.  After  the  target-practice  all 
boats  were  called  away,  "  armed  and  equipped  for  distant  service  ;" 
the  boats  were  all  ready  in  four  minutes  and  fifty  seconds.  There 
was  no  exercise  of  the  flotilla.  The  steam-launch  was  reported 
equipped  as  a  sailing  launch  at  this  exercise  ;  her  engines  and 
propeller  had  been  removed,  and  two  pole  masts  were  improvised 
out  of  an  old  broken  torpedo-spar,  which  with  other  fittings  makes 
her  serviceable  for  a  long  voyage  at  sea  if  desired. 

We  resumed  our  course  down  the  river,  and  at  nine  P.M.  took 
our  departure  from  Maldonado  light,  gradually  making  sail  during 
the  night  as  we  changed  our  course  to  southeast  out  of  the  mouth 
of  the  river.  We  continued  under  steam  and  fore-and-aft  sail  to 
the  southeast  all  of  the  next  day  and  until  Sunday  forenoon,  when 
we  hauled  fires  and  made  sail.  We  had  a  long  sea  until  then, 
with  light  winds  from  the  northward  and  eastward,  but  the  wind 
suddenly  freshened,  which  necessitated  two  reefs  in  the  topsails. 
During  the  afternoon  the  wind  continued  very  fresh,  and  increased 
to  a  fresh  gale  by  eleven  p.m.  that  night,  after  which  it  gradually 
died  away  to  a  light  breeze,  veering  to  the  southwest  by  noon  the 
next  day.  We  changed  our  course  to  due  east  at  Sunday  noon, 
and  after  the  gale  subsided,  Monday,  we  made  sail  to  royals  and 
also  set  starboard  topmast  studding-sail.     The  ship  sailed  very 


144  THE    CRVISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

slowly,  and  only  made  five  or  six  knots  with  a  fine  quartering 
breeze,  with  which  on  other  passages  she  has  made  seven  and 
eight.  Wednesday,  October  3,  the  wind  freshened  considerably 
from  the  southwest,  and  by  midnight  blew  a  very  fresh  gale,  dur- 
ing which  we  made  from  eight  to  ten  knots  for  several  hours,  but 
the  sea  became  rough  towards  morning,  and  at  noon  her  speed  fell 
oflf  again  to  five  or  six  knots.  During  this  gale  the  ship  rolled 
about  very  uncomfortably,  and  the  oflScers  and  men  displayed  their 
usual  good  nature  at  the  attending  mishaps  and  discomforts.  This 
wind  continued  until  Saturday,  October  6,  when  it  veered  to  the 
northwest,  and  then  to  the  northeast  on  Sunday,  October  7.  The 
barometer,  which  had  been  high  up  to  this  time,  commenced  to 
fall,  while  the  wind  came  out  still  fresher  from  north  and  north 
by  east,  bringing  a  heavy  cross-sea.  The  indications  were  very 
unfavorable,  and  that  afternoon  we  close-reefed  the  topsails  and 
foresail  and  prepared  for  a  very  heavy  gale.  The  wind,  however, 
veered  to  the  westward  again,  and  towards  the  evening  of  the  8th 
it  became  light  and  variable,  accompanied  by  heavy  rain-squalls, 
and  finally  settled  down  from  the  east  and  southeast.  Wednesday, 
October  10,  we  got  westerly  winds  again,  but  the  sea  became 
rough  and  we  made  very  slow  progress.  The  weather  continued 
about  the  same  until  Sunday,  October  14,  when  it  came  out  from 
the  southeast  and  headed  us  ofi"  to  the  northward  of  our  course. 
The  southeast  winds  then  continued,  with  occasional  variation, 
more  or  less  to  the  southward,  until  October  21,  when  we  were 
due  north  of  the  Tristan  d'Acunha  Islands. 

It  was  our  intention  to  pass  in  sight  of  these  islands,  but  the 
wind  took  us  far  to  the  northward  and  they  were  not  seen.  These 
islands  are  of  volcanic  origin ;  the  largest  of  the  three — Tristan 
d'Acunha — is  about  fifteen  hundred  miles  southwest  of  St.  Helena. 
It  has  an  area  of  forty  square  miles,  is  nearly  circular,  and  rises 
abruptly  on  the  north  side  to  one  thousand  feet,  and  a  conical 
peak  from  the  cliffs  reaches  a  height  of  eight  thousand  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty-six  feet,  and  is  visible  on  a  clear  day  for  over 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  145 

sixty  miles.  The  summit  of  the  peak  is  a  crater,  five  hundred 
yards  in  diameter,  filled  with  water.  There  is  a  plain  on  the 
northwest  side  which  is  highly  cultivated.  A  small  settlement 
exists  at  one  end  of  the  plain  which  has  about  seventy  inhabitants, 
who  are  intelligent  and  hospitable.  This  island  was  discovered  in 
1506  by  the  Portuguese  navigator  whose  name  it  bears,  and  ex- 
plored by  the  Dutch  in  1643,  and  the  French  in  1767.  John 
Patten,  an  American  whaler,  lived  on  this  island  with  his  crew 
from  1790  to  1791.  The  British  had  a  small  garrison  on  it  dur- 
ing the  period  of  Napoleon's  captivity  on  St.  Helena.  The  pres- 
ent inhabitants  are  nearly  all  descendants  of  Corporal  John  Glass, 
of  the  Royal  Marines. 

Inaccessible  Island  is  seventeen  miles  and  Nightingale  Island 
about  twenty  miles  southwest  of  Tristan  d'Acunha.  The  former 
is  elliptical,  four  miles  long  and  two  wide,  and  rises  abruptly  five 
hundred  feet  out  of  the  sea.  The  latter  is  round,  one  and  one- 
half  miles  in  diameter,  and  two  hundred  feet  high,  both  being 
uninhabited. 

We  started  fires  on  Sunday,  October  21,  and  continued  under 
steam  until  noon  on  Friday,  October  26.  During  that  week  we 
experienced  calms  and  light  airs  from  the  southward  and  eastward. 
After  hauling  fires  we  had  the  same  weather,  and  on  the  28th  and 
29th  we  scarcely  made  any  progress  on  the  chart.  The  distance 
made  good  for  those  two  days  was  such  that  the  noon  position  on 
the  track  chart  for  the  27th,  28th,  and  29th  appear  as  if  that  was 
some  station. 

Six  albatross  were  caught  on  the  27th  by  ordinary  baited  fish- 
hook and  line.  These  birds  were  stuflFed  and  are  beautiful  speci- 
mens. The  albatross  is  a  genus  of  web-footed  sea-birds,  and  weighs 
from  twelve  to  twenty-eight  pounds ;  it  has  a  very  strong,  hard, 
straight  beak,  which  suddenly  curves  downward  with  a  sharp  hook 
at  the  point.  The  feet  are  short,  the  three  toes  long  and  webbed, 
while  the  wings  are  very  long  and  narrow,  extending  from  eleven 
to  fifteen  feet.     These  specimens  are  white,  with  portions  of  the 


146  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

back  and  wings  gray  and  brown.  The  white  plumage  of  the  breast 
is  beautifully  marked  with  spots  of  gray  in  wavy  circles.  The 
long  wing-bones  are  hollow,  and  give  it  extraordinary  lightness  ; 
the  Esquimaux  use  these  bones  for  tobacco-pipes.  The  albatross 
is  frequently  known  as  the  man-of-war  bird,  from  the  great  height, 
power,  and  continuity  of  its  flight,  and  some  old  tars  say  that  it 
sleeps  on  the  wing. 

Towards  three  p.m.,  October  29,  a  light  breeze  sprang  up  from 
the  north- northeast,  which  gradually  increased  and  veered  to  the 
northwest,  and,  with  slight  variations,  continued  up  to  November 

1,  when  we  again  experienced  light  airs,  and  at  noon,  November 

2,  we  started  fires,  coupled  the  propeller,  and  then  steamed  until 
we  reached  the  anchorage  at  Cape  Town.  At  11.50  a.m.,  Sunday, 
November  4,  the  lookout  from  the  topsail  yard  reported  land  right 
ahead,  which  proved  to  be  Table  Mountain,  about  twenty-six  miles 
away.  We  gradually  slowed  down  during  the  night,  and  at  4,30 
A.M.,  November  5,  we  steamed  into  the  bay,  and  anchored  in  the 
harbor  at  7.40  a.m.  At  eight  a.m.  we  saluted  the  English  flag 
with  twenty-one  guns,  which  was  duly  returned  by  the  battery  on 
shore.  The  time  occupied  in  the  passage  from  Montevideo  to 
Cape  Town  was  thirty-seven  days  and  eighteen  hours,  and  the  dis- 
tance actually  sailed  three  thousand  nine  hundred  and  seventy- 
three  miles.  The  weather  was,  as  a  general  thing,  pleasant.  We 
had  our  usual  routine  of  drills,  etc. ;  the  band  played  almost  every 
day,  and  the  boys  in  the  lee  gangway  had  many  a  pleasant  evening 
boxing,  etc.,  to  while  the  time  away. 

Thursday  morning,  November  8,  we  hauled  in  to  between  the 
jetties  to  leeward  of  the  breakwater,  where  the  ship  was  moored 
by  stern  lines  to  the  dock,  and  sheet-chain  shackled  to  a  buoy. 
We  received  a  great  many  visitors,  and  the  people  on  shore  were 
very  polite  and  hospitable.  The  oflBcers  were  oflFered  the  privi- 
leges of  the  prominent  clubs,  and  all  hands  felt  themselves  at 
home  again  among  our  English  cousins.  It  was  strange  to  hear 
the  people  on  the  street  speaking  English ;  we  almost  doubted 


THE    CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  I47 

their  understanding  our  language,  and  many  of  us  were  surprised 
at  getting  prompt  replies  to  our  questions  in  English,  half  expecting 
we  would  have  to  translate  or  get  an  interpreter. 

THE   CAPE   COLONY. 

COMPILED  FROM  OFFICIAL  REPORTS,  THE  GENERAL  DIRECTORY,  GEORGE 
M.  THEALS'S  "SOUTH  AFRICA,"  SILVER  &  CO.'S  "HANDBOOK  TO  SOUTH 
AFRICA,"  AND  PERSONAL  OBSERVATIONS. 

The  British  colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  is  by  far  the 
most  important  of  the  different  states  of  South  Africa.  Its  coast- 
line is  twelve  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  its  area  about  two 
hundred  thousand  square  miles,  but  its  boundaries  are  not  yet 
accurately  defined,  and  this  area  is  merely  an  approximation.  Its 
population  in  1875,  the  last  census,  was  720,984 ;  made  up  of 
236,783  Europeans,  214,133  Kaffirs  and  Bechuans,  98,561  Hot- 
tentots, 87,184  mixed  races,  73,506  Fingoes,  and  10,817  Malays. 
The  dry  atmosphere  and  warmth  of  the  colony  render  its  climate 
one  of  the  healthiest  in  the  world.  The  mountains,  which  run 
diagonally  across  the  country,  divide  the  colony  into  two  climatic 
districts.  The  upper  district  has  its  rainy  season  during  the  win- 
ter, while  the  eastern  side  receives  its  rain  from  the  Indian  Ocean 
"  trades"  in  spring  and  summer.  The  mean  temperature  at  the 
Royal  Observatory  in  Cape  Town  is  61  degrees,  the  hottest  being 
99  in  January,  and  coldest  in  July,  at  34.  No  part  of  the  colony 
is  subject  to  malaria. 

There  are  about  five  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  acres  of  ground 
under  cultivation,  which  annually  yield  about  two  million  bushels 
of  wheat,  one  million  bushels  of  corn,  and  proportionate  quantities 
of  oats,  rye,  potatoes,  and  other  vegetables.  The  vineyards  yield 
about  five  million  gallons  of  wine  and  one  million  gallons  of  spirits, 
the  Constantia  wine  ranking  with  the  best  in  the  world. 

Sheep-farming  is  one  of  the  principal  industries,  ten  million  of 
wooled  sheep  being  owned  in  the  colony,  besides  one  million 
African  sheep,  eight  hundred  and  seventy-eight  thousand  Angora 


148  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

goats,  two  million  common  goats,  two  hundred  and  six  thousand 
horses,  over  a  million  of  horned  cattle,  and  twenty-two  thousand 
domesticated  ostriches.  South  Africa  at  one  time  contained  a 
greater  variety  of  animal  life  than  an  equal  area  of  any  other 
country  of  the  world,  but  the  large  wild  game  has  been  nearly 
exterminated.  A  few  elephants,  zebras,  and  buffaloes  still  exist 
in  the  forests  of  Zitzikama,  but  the  rhinoceros,  giraffe,  lion,  eland, 
and  hippopotamus  are  no  longer  found  near  European  settlements. 
The  smaller  varieties  of  antelope  still  abound,  as  well  as  leopards, 
wild  dogs,  hyenas,  jackals,  boars,  baboons,  monkeys,  porcupines, 
jerboas,  coneys,  and  ant-eaters.  When  the  country  was  discovered 
the  ox,  heavy-tailed  sheep,  dog,  goat,  and  barn-yard  fowl  were 
found  in  the  possession  of  Hottentots  and  Kaffirs ;  the  other  do- 
mestic animals  were  introduced  by  the  Europeans  and  found  to 
thrive  well.  There  is  a  great  variety  of  birds,  but  very  few  of 
these  are  songsters.  Alligators,  iguanas,  adders,  the  cobra  di 
capello,  tree>snake,  lizards,  frogs,  and  tortoises  are  also  very 
numerous. 

The  vegetable  kingdom  is  represented  by  a  very  great  variety. 
Trees  are  scarce  in  the  greater  part,  but  there  are  some  fine  forests 
in  the  coast  region.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  circumstances 
is  the  provision  of  nature  in  the  abundance  of  succulent  plants 
and  shrubs  in  the  driest  and  most  barren  parts  of  the  country. 
The  "  karroo  bosch"  and  "  kengwe"  afford  food  and  drink  for 
millions  of  sheep  and  cattle  which  would  otherwise  perish  in  those 
districts.  The  eastern  coast  is  carpeted  with  wild  grass  and  beau- 
tiful flowers  of  every  hue. 

The  mineral  wealth  of  the  colony  is  still  unknown,  but  scientific 
explorations  are  being  made.  There  are  rich  and  extensive  copper 
mines  in  Namaqualand,  which  in  1881  yielded  fourteen  thousand 
tons,  valued  at  one  and  a  quarter  million  dollars.  Coal  has  been 
found  in  the  Stormberg  Mountains,  and  the  Cyphergat  Mining 
Company,  organized  in  April,  1882,  estimates  its  nine  hundred 
and  twenty-one  proved  acres  of  coal  area  to  contain  four  million 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  149 

tons  of  coal.  This  mine  is  on  the  Eastern  system  of  railway,  and 
the  workings  at  no  point  will  be  more  than  one  hundred  yards 
from  this  railway.  Fifteen  hundred  tons  are  now  produced 
monthly.  There  are  three  other  coal  mines  in  this  range,  but  not 
yet  developed.  Lead  is  found  in  the  Transvaal  Republic.  Salt  is 
obtained  in  unlimited  quantities  from  salt-pans  in  dififerent  parts 
of  the  country,  and  a  superior  quality  of  manganese  is  found  in 
the  Drakenstein  Mountains.  Iron  also  abounds,  but  none  is  yet 
produced. 

The  only  manufactures  are  those  for  home  consumption.  But 
there  are  sixteen  hundred  and  ninety-five  flour-mills,  three  hun- 
dred and  six  leather-tanneries,  and  a  great  industry  in  the  manu- 
facture of  wagons  from  African  wood  and  imported  iron. 

The  colony  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Orange  Free  State, 
on  the  northeast  by  Basutoland,  and  on  the  east  by  Kaffraria. 
The  colony  is  divided  into  seven  provinces, — the  "Western,  North- 
western, Southwestern,  Midland,  Southeastern,  Northeastern,  and 
Eastern.  Each  of  these  has  about  85,000  inhabitants  except  the 
Eastern,  which  has  27,000  Europeans  and  201,000  colored. 
Cape  Town,  the  capital,  contained  57,319  inhabitants  and  8000 
houses  at  the  last  census  in  1875.  It  was  founded  in  1652,  and 
presents  a  beautiful  appearance  from  sea,  being  built  upon  a  slope 
rising  from  the  southern  shore  of  Table  Bay  to  the  foot  of  Table 
Mountain,  and  up  the  valley  enclosed  between  Table  Mountain 
and  the  Lion's  Bump.  Table  Mountain  is  a  magnificent  promon- 
tory three  thousand  five  hundred  and  eighty  two  feet  high,  with 
vertical  sides,  and  as  its  name  indicates,  has  a  long  level  plateau 
on  its  summit  resembling  an  immense  table.  This  is  frequently 
covered  with  clouds,  which,  with  a  southeast  wind,  drop  down 
over  the  edge  like  an  immense  table-cloth ;  and  Devil's  Peak,  a 
somewhat  detached  promontory  a  little  north  of  the  edge  of  the 
Table,  is  also  covered  as  if  by  a  napkin,  while  the  rest  of  the  sky 
is  cloudless.  This  scenery,  with  beautiful  white  fleecy  clouds 
rolling  over  the  level  plateau  and  down  the  precipitous  sides,  ex- 


150  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

cites  the  admiration,  and  its  memory  can  never  be  effaced  from  the 
minds  of  those  who  have  seen  it. 

The  Lion's  Rump,  to  seaward  and  almost  parallel  with  it,  is 
nothing  like  as  high ;  its  southern  point  terminates  in  a  bold 
peak,  which,  with  some  imagination,  may  be  conceived  to  be  like 
a  lion's  head,  the  hill  to  the  northward  forming  the  body  of  the 
crouching  lion. 

Table  Bay  is  a  spacious  indentation  in  the  coast,  open  and  ex- 
posed to  the  northwest,  with  Robben  Island  at  its  entrance.  A 
great  many  disastrous  shipwrecks  have  occurred  here,  and  led  to 
the  construction  of  a  magnificent  and  commodious  dock,  in  which 
ships  lie  in  perfect  safety.  This  dock  was  commenced  in  1860, 
and  opened  for  traffic  on  the  17th  of  May,  1870.  It  was  named 
by  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh  the  "  Alfred  Dock"  a  few  weeks  later. 
The  breakwater  runs  out  northeasterly  for  eighteen  hundred  feet, 
and  ends  in  six  fathoms  of  water ;  work,  however,  is  being  con- 
tinued, and  the  breakwater  will,  when  completed,  extend  eighteen 
hundred  feet  still  farther  beyond  its  present  terminus.  Two  jetties 
extend  at  right  angles  southeast  from  the  breakwater,  one,  the 
east  jetty,  enclosing  the  outer  basin,  and  the  other,  the  coaling 
jetty,  which  is  about  the  centre  of  what  will  be  the  future  outer 
harbor  of  forty-four  acres  area,  to  be  enclosed  by  an  east  pier  eight 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  and  to  run  out  southeast  from  the  point 
where  the  breakwater  now  terminates.  The  depth  of  water  in  the 
future  harbor  is  twenty  feet  at  low-water  in  the  most  shallow  parts. 
The  inner  basin  is  just  outside  the  entrance  to  the  Alfred  basin, 
and  encloses  an  area  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  by  six  hundred 
feet  over  to  the  south  jetty.  The  Alfred  basin  is  one  thousand 
and  twenty-five  feet  long  by  five  hundred  feet  wide  at  the  north 
end,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  at  the  south  end,  where  it 
terminates  in  a  patent  slip  eight  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long  by 
sixty-five  feet  wide,  with  cradle  two  hundred  and  forty-three  feet 
long  by  fifty  feet  wide.  The  depth  of  water  at  ordinary  low-water 
at  foot  of  cradle  is  seventeen  feet,  and  this  marine  railway  is  capable 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  151 

of  taking  up  a  vessel  of  two  thousand  tons  burden.  A  graving-  or 
dry -dock  has  been  constructed  inside  of  the  Alfred  basin,  which 
is  a  solid  granite  structure  of  the  following  dimensions :  length  at 
coping  level,  five  hundred  and  twenty-nine  feet  six  inches ;  length 
on  keel-blocks,  five  hundred  feet;  length  with  caisson  on  stop, 
twelve  feet  additional;  width  of  dock  at  coping,  ninety  feet; 
width  of  entrance  at  top,  sixty-eight  feet ;  width  of  entrance  at 
bottom,  sixty  feet ;  depth  on  sill  at  low-water,  seventeen  feet ; 
depth  on  sill  at  high-water,  twenty-one  feet. 

The  dock-yard  encloses  a  number  of  buildings  for  custom-house 
offices,  workshops,  engine-house,  stores,  and  sheds  for  merchandise, 
and  machine-shop.  It  is  thoroughly  lighted  by  twenty  arc  elec- 
tric lights  of  the  Brush  system,  of  eight  hundred  candle-power 
each.  A  tower  is  built  on  the  end  of  the  south  jetty,  which  will 
contain  a  clock  to  be  connected  with  the  Royal  Observatory,  and 
visible  from  the  anchorage  in  the  bay.  A  convict  station-house 
adjoins  the  dock- yard,  and  a  great  deal  of  the  Table  Bay  harbor 
works  has  been  performed  by  convict  labor. 

A  south  pier,  fifteen  hundred  feet  long,  parallel  with  and  about 
fifteen  hundred  feet  south  of  the  breakwater,  is  in  course  of  con- 
struction, to  form  the  future  outer  harbor,  the  entrance  to  which 
will  be  partly  closed  by  a  jetty  three  hundred  and  seventy  feet 
long,  which  will  run  to  within  two  hundred  and  forty  feet  of  the 
east  pier  previously  mentioned.  The  dry-dock  cost  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds  sterling,  while  the  total  ex- 
penditures on  the  Table  Bay  harbor  works  up  to  June  30,  1881, 
was  one  million  three  hundred  and  seventy-two  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  eighty-one  pounds  sterling,  including  three  hundred 
and  sixteen  thousand  nine  hundred  and  twenty-nine  pounds  paid 
in  interest.  The  dock  dues  for  vessels  entering  the  basins,  with 
privilege  of  remaining  three  weeks,  is  sixpence  per  ton  ;  for  dock- 
ing and  undocking  in  the  graving-dock,  or  taking  up  and  launch- 
ing from  the  patent  slip,  the  dues  are  two  and  sixpence  per  ton 
register  gross.     Vessels  are  charged  sixpence  per  ton  for  every 


152  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

twenty-four  hours'  occupation  of  the  dock  or  patent  slip,  except 
days  of  docking  or  undocking. 

The  streets  of  Cape  Town  are  for  the  most  part  regularly  laid 
out  and  tolerably  well  lighted  by  gas.  The  carriage-ways  are  mac- 
adamized and  covered  with  a  reddish  clay,  which,  when  the  wind 
blows, — and  it  seems  to  do  so  constantly, — fills  the  air  with  dust. 
The  houses  are  devoid  of  architectural  beauty,  and  many  of  them 
have  projecting  "  stoeps,"  which  oblige  the  pedestrian  to  leave  the 
sidewalk  once  or  twice  in  almost  every  block.  There  are,  how- 
ever, several  fine  churches,  hospitals,  bank  buildings,  and  the  rail- 
way station.  The  governor's  residence,  "  Tlie  Castle,"  at  one  time 
was  considered  quite  a  palace ;  its  surrounding  gardens  are  very 
attractive,  and  there  is  a  beautiful  avenue  of  old  English  oaks, 
covered  with  ivy,  at  the  head  of  the  principal  business  street. 
This  avenue  of  oaks  passes  in  rear  of  the  new  Parliament  build- 
ing, now  nearly  completed.  This  covers  a  space  of  two  hundred 
and  sixty-four  by  one  hundred  and  forty-one  feet,  and  the  extreme 
height  is  sixty-three  feet  to  the  top  of  the  portico.  This  building 
is  a  fine  modern  structure  ;  the  ground-floor  is  fire-proof  for  rec- 
ords, etc.  The  basement  is  executed  in  Paarl  granite,  and  the 
remainder  in  pointed  red  brick  with  cement  dressings.  The  eleva- 
tions are  designed  in  Italian  Renaissance,  freely  treated.  The 
Botanical  Garden  is  a  little  farther  up  the  avenue  of  oaks,  and 
contains  a  fine  collection  of  palms,  orchids,  and  a  great  variety  of 
trees  and  shrubbery,  which  make  it  a  very  interesting  resort. 

The  South  African  Museum  and  Public  Library  occupy  a  suit- 
able building  directly  opposite  the  new  Parliament  House.  The 
museum  contains  a  very  interesting  collection,  illustrating  the 
zoology  of  South  Africa,  besides  the  birds,  insects,  reptiles,  Crus- 
tacea, and  geological  characteristics.  There  is  also  a  good  collec- 
tion of  the  weapons  and  implements  of  the  savage  tribes.  The 
public  library  occupies  one-half  of  the  building,  and  contains 
forty  thousand  volumes,  but  its  most  valuable  feature  is  the  Grey 
collection  of  five  thousand  volumes  of  rare  and  valuable  books,  in- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  153 

eluding  one  hundred  and  thirty  manuscripts  on  vellum  or  parch- 
ment, some  of  the  tenth  century,  two  of  Dante's  manuscripts,  a 
Hebrew  Bible  of  the  thirteenth  century  with  Moorish  embellish- 
ments, and  a  copy  of  the  very  first  edition  of  Shakspeare's  plays. 
The  collection  of  the  native  languages  of  Africa,  Polynesia,  and 
New  Zealand  is  very  complete  and  rare,  and  includes  manuscripts  by 
the  first  missionaries  and  letters  and  vocabularies  of  Livingstone. 

The  city  is  well  supplied  with  water  from  reservoirs  fed  by 
springs  which  rise  on  the  slopes  of  Table  Mountain.  The  water- 
mains  are  twenty-five  miles  long,  and  furnish  six  hundred  and  ten 
thousand  gallons  daily.  Two  markets  are  held  daily,  from  sun- 
rise to  sunset,  except  Sunday,  but  are  open  until  eleven  o'clock 
Saturday  night.  The  mutton  is  the  finest  in  the  world,  while  the 
beef  is  very  fair.  Garden  produce  is  plentiful,  but  prices  are  con- 
siderably higher  than  in  the  United  States. 

The  colonial  railways  are  divided  into  three  groups,  converging 
at  the  ports  of  Cape  Town,  Port  Elizabeth,  and  East  London,  all 
of  which  combined  had  about  one  thousand  miles  of  railway  on 
the  1st  of  January,  1881.  The  railways  and  telegraph  lines  are 
under  government  control.  The  total  miles  of  telegraph  in  1880 
were  five  thousand  six  hundred  miles.  The  colony  is  in  tele- 
graphic communication  with  Europe  by  cables  from  Natal,  Delagoa 
Bay,  Mozambique,  and  Zanzibar  to  Aden.  This  line  was  opened 
Christmas- day,  1879.  The  city  of  Cape  Town  has  two  street-car 
lines,  and  about  two  hundred  hansom-cabs,  which  are  found  to  be 
very  convenient. 

BRIEF   HISTORICAL  SKETCH. 

The  Cape  was  discovered  in  1486  by  the  Portuguese  navigator, 
Bartholomew  Diaz,  who  took  possession  in  the  name  of  the  King 
of  Portugal,  and  erected  a  pillar  and  cross  at  Angra  Pequena, 
which  still  stand.  A  mutiny  then  broke  out,  which  obliged  him 
to  return  to  Portugal  without  completing  his  discoveries.  Vasco 
da  Gama  sailed  from  Portugal  eleven  years  later  and  discovered 


154  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Table  Bay.  He  rounded  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  landed  at 
Durban  Bay  on  Christmas-day,  in  commemoration  of  which  he 
named  the  port  Natal.     Da  Gama  then  proceeded  on  to  India. 

The  English  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  Portuguese,  but 
neither  of  these  nations  founded  any  permanent  establishment  at 
the  Cape.  The  Portuguese  in  this  period  obtained  immense 
riches  from  the  East  Indies,  which  excited  the  cupidity  of  the 
Dutch  merchants,  who  fitted  out  expeditions  to  wrest  some  of  the 
most  coveted  points  from  the  Portuguese,  whose  cruelty  and 
rapacity  had  caused  them  to  be  detested  by  the  natives.  The 
Netherlands  East  Indies  Company  was  then  formed,  which  held 
a  charter  authorizing  them  to  administer  supreme  power  in  the 
name  of  the  States-General  of  United  Netherlands. 

The  long  passages  to  and  from  India  necessitated  a  half-way 
station,  and  in  March,  1651,  the  Dutch  company  formed  a  perma- 
nent settlement  in  Table  Bay.  They  had  some  difficulty  in  ob- 
taining lands  from  the  Hottentots,  but  the  latter's  claims  were 
eventually  disregarded,  and  additional  Dutch  settlers  from  time  to 
time  completed  their  ascendency.  Three  hundred  of  the  French 
Huguenots  settled  at  the  Cape  after  the  Edict  of  Nantes.  The 
colony  continued  to  grow  slowly,  but  its  government  by  the  Dutch 
governors  was  a  perfect  despotism.  All  trade  was  monopolized  by 
the  company,  and  while  the  natives  were  held  in  abject  slavery, 
the  citizen  had  no  rights  which  the  company's  governors  were 
obliged  to  respect.  The  history  up  to  1795  is  chiefly  of  a  series 
of  wars  and  oppressive  acts  against  the  native  tribes. 

The  French  revolution  in  1793  brought  about  the  invasion  of 
the  Netherlands  by  the  French  under  Pichegru,  aided  by  the 
Dutch  democrats.  An  alliance  was  then  formed  between  the 
French  and  Batavian  republics,  and  the  Dutch  stadtholder  fled  to 
England  and  requested  that  power  to  take  possession  of  the  Dutch 
colonies  and  to  hold  them  in  trust  for  himself.  Admiral  Elphin- 
stone,  with  nine  ships  of  war,  and  four  thousand  troops  under 
General  Craig,  took  possession  of  Simon's  Town  on  the  14th  of 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  155 

July,  1795,  and  after  a  feeble  resistance  captured  Cape  Town  and 
the  whole  Dutch  colony.  A  Batavian  fleet  attempted  its  re- 
capture, but  instead  fell  a  prey  to  the  English.  During  the  fol- 
lowing eight  years,  although  the  English  inaugurated  a  really 
good  and  liberal  government,  the  history  of  the  colony  is  merely 
an  account  of  a  chronic  state  of  rebellion. 

On  the  27th  of  March,  1802,  the  treaty  of  Amiens  was  signed, 
one  condition  of  which  obliged  England  to  evacuate  the  Cape  and 
deliver  it  to  Holland,  which  was  done  in  February,  1803.  The 
population  was  then  about  seventy  thousand  in  all,  twenty-two 
thousand  Europeans,  twenty-six  thousand  slaves  from  the  Guinea 
coast,  and  the  rest  Hottentots.  After  this  the  Dutch  improved 
their  administration  considerably,  but  the  peace  of  Amiens  was 
of  short  duration,  and  the  wars  of  Napoleon  induced  England  to 
fit  out  another  expedition  for  the  permanent  recapture  of  the  Cape. 
In  January,  1806,  a  fleet  of  sixty-three  ships  under  Sir  Home 
Popham  anchored  off"  Robben  Island,  and  after  a  slight  resistance 
the  British  army  under  General  Baird  captured  Cape  Town  and 
the  rest  of  Cape  Colony.  After  the  fall  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte 
the  possession  of  the  Cape  was  confirmed  by  the  King  of  Nether- 
lands, to  whom  England  paid  six  million  pounds.  In  1815  the 
congress  at  Vienna  ratified  this,  since  when  there  has  been  no 
attempt  to  wrest  the  colony  from  her. 

The  British  were  fortunate  in  their  governors,  who  corrected 
many  of  the  abuses  inaugurated  by  the  Dutch.  The  settlers, 
however,  had  a  continual  border  war  with  the  Kaffir  tribes.  In 
1807  foreign  slave-trade  was  prohibited,  followed  in  1834  by  the 
total  prohibition  of  slavery  throughout  the  British  dominions. 
All  slaves  in  Cape  Colony  became  free  on  December  1,  1834. 
The  government  paid  two-fifths  of  the  appraised  value  of  the 
slaves  to  their  owners ;  and  the  amount  of  compensation  thus 
paid  in  the  Cape  Colony  was  one  million  two  hundred  thousand 
pounds.  It  was  found  impossible  to  reconcile  the  Dutch  Boers 
to  this  measure,  and  a  great  many  of  these  left  the  colony  and 


156  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

migrated  to  the  northward,  where  they  settled  the  Orange  Free 
State  and  the  Transvaal  Republic.  The  English  government  al- 
lowed them  to  go  without  any  attempt  to  restrain  them,  and  the 
Boers  have  maintained  their  independence  up  to  the  present  time. 
The  recent  contests  with  the  Boers  are  still  fresh  in  our  minds  ; 
they  and  the  Zulus  are  yet  formidable  enemies  to  the  advance  of 
the  British,  whose  policy  has  been  to  annex  all  the  surrounding 
country  and  leave  the  boundaries  of  Cape  Colony  undefined. 

The  colony  received  its  present  constitution  in  1850,  by  which 
the  colonial  parliament  was  established.  The  government  at  pres- 
ent is  administered  by  Governor  Sir  Hercules  G.  R.  Robinson, 
who  is  the  commander-in-chief  and  lord  high  commissioner.  He 
assumed  office  on  January  22,  1881,  and  is  president  of  the  ex- 
ecutive council,  and  receives  a  salary  of  eight  thousand  pounds 
per  annum.  Lieutenant-General  Hon.  Leicester  Smyth  is  deputy- 
governor.  There  are  thirty  members  of  the  executive  council, 
including  the  chief  justice  of  the  colony  (who  is  also  president  of 
the  legislative  council),  and  five  cabinet  officers  who  occupy  seata 
in  both  houses  of  parliament,  which  are  the  legislative  council 
and  house  of  assembly.  The  legislative  council  consists  of  five 
members,  elected  from  each  of  the  seven  provinces,  and  one  from 
Griqualand  West,  annexed  in  April,  1881.  The  house  of  assem- 
bly consists  of  seventy-two  members ;  two  representatives  chosen 
from  each  electoral  division  except  Cape  Town,  which  has  four. 
The  total  colonial  revenue  for  the  fiscal  year  1881-82  was  three 
million  five  hundred  and  twenty-four  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
fifty-eight  pounds,  while  the  total  expenditure  amounted  to  two 
million  two  hundred  and  thirty-nine  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
thirty  pounds  for  the  same  period. 

The  colonial  military  establishment  had  a  total  of  thirteen  hun- 
dred and  sixty-eight  officers  and  men  of  the  Cape,  mounted  rifle- 
men, artillery,  and  infantry,  and  eighteen  hundred  and  twenty- 
three  officers  and  men  of  the  volunteers,  while  the  reserved  lists 
of  burghers  was  fifty-five  thousand  three  hundred  and  seventy- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  157 

three,  and  of  levies  seventy-six  thousand  nine  hundred  and  forty- 
nine  for  the  year  1882.  The  colony  is  also  garrisoned  by  several 
English  regiments.  The  First  Battalion  Argyll  and  Sutherland 
Highlanders  were  on  duty  in  Cape  Town,  but  under  orders  to 
exchange  with  the  Fifty-eighth  Kegiment  of  the  line  at  Natal. 
The  Highlanders  wear  the  kilts  of  the  Highland  uniform,  and 
they  present  a  decidedly  handsome  appearance. 

THE    AFRICAN    DIAMOND-FIELDS. 

In  1867  a  Dutch  farmer  named  Schalk  van  Niekerk,  who  re- 
sided at  Hope  Town,  observed  some  neighboring  children  playing 
with  a  remarkably  brilliant  pebble,  of  which  the  mistress  of  the 
house,  without  more  ado,  made  him  a  present,  upon  hearing  him 
express  his  admiration  of  the  stone.  A  trader,  named  O'Reilly, 
suspected  its  being  a  diamond,  and  after  obtaining  possession  of  it, 
he  had  it  tested  at  Cape  Town  by  the  French  consul.  It  proved 
to  be  a  real  diamond,  weighing  twenty-one  carats,  and  was  sold 
to  the  governor.  Sir  P.  E.  Wodehouse,  for  five  hundred  pounds. 
The  country  was  startled  by  the  announcement ;  search  was  com- 
menced in  Hope  Town  division,  and  a  second  diamond  was  soon 
found  ;  then  a  third  was  picked  up  on  the  banks  of  the  Vaal  River. 
Numbers  of  isolated  gems  were  found  in  1868  and  1869,  and 
during  the  latter  year  the  "  Star  of  South  Africa"  was  bought 
from  the  Kaffir  chief  Schonell ;  this  gem  weighed  eighty-three 
and  one-half  carats,  and  was  of  first  water.  It  was  for  a  consid- 
erable time  in  the  possession  of  a  Kaffir  witch-doctor,  and  was 
used  in  the  incantations  and  mystic  rites.  Avarice  conquered 
superstition,  and  it  was  sold  to  Mr.  van  Niekerk,  who  disposed  of 
it  for  eleven  thousand  two  hundred  pounds,  or  fifty-four  thousand 
five  hundred  and  four  dollars  and  eighty  cents.  These  diamond- 
finds  soon  brought  a  great  rush  of  people  to  this  district ;  and  in 
1872  the  dry-diggings  at  Kimberly  were  found  to  be  exceedingly 
rich.  In  the  river-diggings  the  diamonds  are  found  imbedded  in 
huge  boulders,  which  have  to  be  broken  up,  the  gravel  carted 

11 


158  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

down  the  river,  and  washed  in  a  cradle  or  in  tubs.  For  dry-dig- 
gings a  lime-like  substance  of  a  reddish  green  termed  the  "blue" 
is  dug  out,  and  this  is  sifted  through  double  series  of  coarse  and 
fine  mesh  wire.  That  which  is  retained  on  the  lower  fine  sieve  is 
only  valuable,  and  its  contents  are  carefully  examined  for  the 
gems. 

The  diamond-diggings  at  Kimberly,  six  hundred  miles  from 
Cape  Town,  are  by  far  the  richest  in  the  world.  The  value  of 
the  four  principal  mines,  Kimberly,  Old  De  Beer's,  Du  Toit's 
Pan,  and  Bultfontein,  is  a  total  of  about  nine  million  nine  hun- 
dred thousand  pounds  sterling,  with  an  annual  yield  of  diamonds 
valued  at  fifteen  million  dollars.  The  Kimberly  diamond  mine  is 
the  largest.  The  working-places  of  this  mine  were,  during  1882, 
on  an  average  of  three  hundred  and  forty  feet  below  the  surface 
and  two  miles  in  circumference.  The  diamondiferous  ground  in 
some  portions  is  worth  twenty-five  dollars  for  a  load  of  sixteen 
cubic  feet,  but  the  average  is  about  five  dollars  per  load  for  the 
whole  mine.  The  "  blue"  ground  of  the  Kimberly  mine  yields 
about  one  and  one-fifth  carats  per  load  of  sixteen  cubic  feet.  No 
"  yellow"  ground  is  worked.  Sixteen  hundred  and  sixty-six  pounds 
in  weight  of  diamonds,  equal  to  two  million  six  hundred  and  two 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty  carats,  were  transmitted 
through  the  Kimberly  post-oflSce  in  the  year  1882,  two  thousand 
two  hundred  and  forty  carats  being  allowed  for  the  pound  weight. 

Wire-rope  tramways  are  most  extensively  employed  for  working 
the  mines,  which  are  really  surface-diggings.  Within  the  dia- 
mondiferous area  these  diggings  go  down  to  very  unequal  depths, 
and  the  soft  earth  is  deposited  around  the  outer  edge  of  this  area, 
forming  an  embankment  known  as  the  "  reef."  During  the  first 
part  of  this  year  this  "  reef"  or  soft  debris  fell  into  the  mines  in 
such  quantities  that  it  required  eighteen  months  to  remove  it. 
Upward  of  four  thousand  tons  fell  within  twenty-four  hours,  and 
the  calamity  produced  great  distress.  Shares  in  the  Kimberly 
mine,  which  were  worth  eighteen  hundred  dollars,  then  fell  to 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  159 

four  hundred,  while  De  Beer's  mine  had  to  be  sold  by  the  sheriff. 
Several  merchants  have  been  ruined,  and  the  disaster  induced  ten 
of  the  leading  men  to  commit  suicide.  The  general  distress  was 
at  this  time  increased  by  failure  of  the  crops  during  the  previous 
season,  from  the  effects  of  which  the  people  are  still  suffering. 

With  respect  to  the  buying  and  selling  of  uncut  diamonds  in 
and  about  the  vicinity  of  the  "  fields,"  the  most  rigid  laws  are 
enforced  by  the  colonial  government.  The  traders  residing  in  the 
colony  and  the  employes  of  the  mines  are  kept  under  the  strictest 
surveillance,  and  none  are  allowed  to  buy  or  sell  even  a  simple 
stone  without  being  licensed  as  a  regular  dealer,  and  even  then 
the  transaction  is  registered  by  a  government  recorder. 

The  penalty  for  illicit  diamond  dealing  consists  of  from  five  to 
fifteen  years'  penal  servitude. 

These  laws  were  made  and  are  enforced  in  order  to  protect  the 
owners  and  stockholders  of  the  mines  from  theft.  Without  these 
laws  there  would  be  no  way  of  preventing  the  employes  from 
disposing  of  the  stones  which  they  can  so  easily  obtain. 

On  November  11,  1883,  we  were  lying  moored  to  the  break- 
water, waiting  for  a  bark  to  come  out  of  the  dry-dock  that  we 
might  go  in  and  examine  the  ship's  copper.  In  the  mean  time 
the  English  people  in  Cape  Town  had  been  extending  a  number 
of  invitations  to  us  to  accept  their  hospitality,  expressing  the  hos- 
pitable feeling  with  which  they  regard  us  and  Americans  generally. 

Commodore  Phelps,  Captain  Weaver,  and  all  the  officers  re- 
ceived a  very  polite  invitation  to  dinner  from  Colonel  Robley  and 
the  officers  of  the  First  Battalion  Sutherland  and  Argyll  High- 
landers, known  as  the  "  Princess  Louise's  Own."  Captain  Weaver 
and  seven  officers  from  the  wardroom  and  steerage  represented  the 
ship,  and  enjoyed  a  very  pleasant  evening.  At  7.30  the  guests  were 
escorted  to  the  mess-hall,  and  seated  at  the  table  among  the  officers 
of  the  regiment,  the  captain  and  consul  being  given  the  seats  of 
honor  on  either  side  of  Colonel  Robley.     The  occasion  was  en- 


160  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

livened  by  the  strains  of  the  "  Highland  pipers,"  who  played 
alternately  with  the  regimental  band.     The  following  b  the  order 

of  music: 

PROGRAMME— REGIMENTAL   BAND, 
Otertdre — "  Le  Cheval  de  Bronie,"  Huber. 
Selection — "  Reminiscences  of  all  Nations,"  Godfrey. 
Valsb — "  Fedora,"  Bucalossi. 
Selection — "  Olivette,"  Audrau. 
Polka — "  Lea  Sauterelles,"  Delbruck. 

SCOTTISH   AIRS  PLAYED   BY  PIPERS. 
March — "The  Bonnie  Breast-knots." 
Strathspey — "Tulloch  Qorm." 
Reel—"  The  Reel  o'  Tulloch." 
Pibroch — "  Lord  Breadalbane," 

When  the  last  course  had  been  served  and  the  dinner  was 
drawing  to  a  close,  the  adjutant  of  the  regiment  arose  and,  call- 
ing attention,  proposed  "  The  Queen."  "  The  Queen  !"  cried 
all  at  the  table  ;  and,  as  the  toast  was  drunk,  the  band  played 
"  God  Save  the  Queen."  The  adjutant  then  called  attention 
again,  and,  raising  his  glass,  cried  in  a  loud  voice,  "  To  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States."  '*  To  the  President  of  the  United 
States  !"  repeated  every  one,  and  the  band  immediately  struck  up 
our  national  hymn.  After  this  the  pipers  marched  into  the  hall 
and  around  the  table  several  times  playing  the  peculiar  Scottish  air 
of  the  regiment.  At  eleven  p.m.  the  captain  and  officers  returned 
to  the  ship,  well  pleased  with  the  entertainment  which  they  had 
received  from  her  majesty's  officers.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that 
docking  and  coaling  ship  prevented  the  return  of  this  hospitality 
during  our  brief  stay  at  Cape  Town. 

Early  Tuesday  morning,  November  13,  we  hauled  into  the  dry- 
dock,  where  the  ship  was  secured  at  5.45  a.m.  The  dock  was 
then  pumped  out  gradually,  while  "  all  hands"  got  on  board  the 
floats  and  catamarans  and  scraped  the  barnacles  oflF  the  copper 
until  5.30  P.M.,  when  the  dock  was  pumped  dry,  the  ship  firmly 
secured  by  shores,  and  the  copper  thoroughly  cleaned. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  161 

Upon  examination  the  copper  was  found  almost  perfect ;  only  a 
few  sheets,  about  twenty  in  all,  were  required  to  replace  some 
worn  off  under  the  forefoot  along  the  keel.  Many  theories  had 
been  advanced  to  account  for  the  great  number  of  sheets  of  copper 
which  were  found  full  of  holes  when  we  docked  at  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
to  repair  the  damages  caused  by  the  "  Mozart's"  inexcusable 
blunder  in  running  into  us  eighteen  months  before.  The  present 
condition  confirms  the  opinion  that  the  damage  was  caused  by 
acids  from  the  sewers  in  Wallabout  Bay  at  the  New  York  Navy- 
yard.  Some  thought  the  copper  was  mixed  with  metallic  im- 
purities of  such  a  nature  that  when  in  salt  water  a  galvanic 
action  would  be  set  up  which  would  leave  the  copper  fiill  of  holes. 
If  this  had  been  the  case  this  action  would  have  continued,  and 
the  copper  would  have  been  found  to  be  as  badly  corroded  as 
before,  which  this  last  examination  proved  not  to  be  the  case. 
The  examination  was  highly  satisfactory,  since  there  can  be  no 
doubt  about  the  perfect  soundness  of  all  the  ship's  timbers,  not  to 
mention  the  great  benefit  to  the  sailing  qualities  of  the  ship  by 
having  the  barnacles  scraped  off.  Our  experience  since  then 
proved  that  the  ship  sailed  at  least  thirty  per  cent,  faster  than 
before. 

While  in  the  dry-dock  a  great  many  people  in  Cape  Town  took 
advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  visit  the  ship.  Every  attention 
was  shown  to  the  visitors  as  far  as  the  duties  of  the  ship  would 
permit,  though  we  rather  disliked  having  visitors  aboard  when  we 
were  coaling,  for  the  coal-dust  detracted  so  much  from  the  ship's 
usual  bright,  cleanly  appearance. 

The  ship's  company  also  had  one  day's  liberty  to  visit  Cape 
Town,  and  to  do  a  little  shopping  preparatory  to  the  long  cruise  in 
the  Indian  Ocean  and  around  Madagascar. 

We  remained  in  the  dry-dock  until  Saturday  noon,  and  during 
that  period  we  received  three  hundred  and  thirty-four  tons  and 
fifteen  hundred  pounds  of  coal.  As  we  had  about  thirty-five  tons 
on  hand,  the  total  amounted  to  about  three  hundred  and  seventy 


162  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

tons.  Of  this  amount  the  bunkers  only  contained  about  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy  tons,  and  we  were  obliged  to  stow  the  remainder 
in  bags,  twenty-eight  tons  and  one  thousand  and  ninety  pounds 
being  stowed  in  the  main  hold,  and  seventy-one  tons  and  sixteen 
hundred  pounds  on  the  spar-deck  between  the  guns.  This  dispo- 
sition of  weights  materially  improved  the  trim  of  the  ship. 

The  dock  was  flooded  on  Thursday,  November  16,  at  6.30 
A.M.,  and  early  on  Saturday  morning  we  started  twelve  fires  to 
raise  steam.  At  one  P.M.,  after  having  received  our  coal  and  pro- 
visions, the  caisson  was  opened  and  we  hauled  out  clear  of  the 
wharves ;  aft«r  which  we  steamed  out  to  the  anchorage  in  Table 
Bay. 

While  lying  at  the  anchorage  a  light  breeze  sprang  up  from  the 
south,  and  Table  Mountain  became  covered  with  a  beautiful  veil 
of  clouds,  known  as  the  "  table-cloth."  The  breeze  freshened 
considerably,  and  for  better  security  we  let  go  our  starboard 
bower-anchor  and  started  to  veer  on  the  port  chain.  The  wind 
and  the  currents  had  a  remarkably  strong  influence  upon  the 
ship ;  and  aft«r  veering  a  few  fathoms  on  the  port  chain,  the  cable 
suddenly  snapped  at  the  eighty-two  and  one-half  fathom  swivel, 
but  the  starboard  chain  remained  fast  and  held  the  ship,  and  the 
port  sheet-anchor  was  immediately  let  go.  The  fracture  of  the 
swivel  gave  no  indications  of  any  decided  flaw  to  explain  its  break- 
ing. The  next  morning  while  catting  the  port  sheet-anchor  a 
light  breeze  sprang  up  from  eastward  and  caused  the  ship  to  forge 
ahead,  leaving  the  starboard  chain  and  anchor  tending  aft.  As 
the  ship  continued  to  advance  and  the  chain  did  not  perceptibly 
tauten,  it  was  evident  that  the  starboard  chain  had  parted  out- 
side of  the  hawae-pipe.  We  immediately  let  go  the  port  sheet- 
anchor  again,  which  brought  the  ship  up.  The  starboard  chain 
was  then  hove  in,  and  found  to  have  carried  away  at  about  nine- 
teen fathoms  from  the  anchor.  It  is  difficult  to  understand  why 
these  chains  parted,  because  the  wind  was  not  anything  like  as 
strong  as  the  "  pamperos"  which  we  so  often  rode  out  at  Monte- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  163 

video,  while  the  sea  was  almost  smooth.  We  recovered  our  anchors 
early  the  next  morning. 

The  same  day,  November  19,  at  4.45  P.M.,  we  got  under  way 
and  began  the  voyage  to  Tamatave,  Madagascar.  We  proceeded 
under  steam  until  10.30  A.M.,  Thursday,  November  22,  up  to 
which  time  we  experienced  fine  weather  with  southerly  winds, 
gradually  veering  to  the  westward.  The  coal  on  deck  was  con- 
sumed with  the  exception  of  five  tons.  On  Thursday  we  were 
well  to  the  southward  and  eastward  of  Cape  Agulhas,  the  south- 
ern extremity  of  Africa.  The  Cape  of  Good  Hope  is  generally 
considered  the  most  southern  point  of  land  of  Africa,  while  Cape 
Agulhas  is  rarely  mentioned. 

We  made  all  plain  sail  to  topgallant-sails,  and  took  advantage 
of  a  fine  quartering  breeze,  which  continued  to  favor  us  until  Tues- 
day, 27th  instant.  During  this  time  the  ship  displayed  excel- 
lent sailing  qualities,  and  frequently  made  nine  and  ten  knots  per 
hour,  and  on  one  occasion  logged  as  high  as  11.8  knots.  Not- 
withstanding the  good  weather  the  passage  was  decidedly  uncom- 
fortable, owing  to  the  heavy  sea  and  deep  rolling  of  the  ship. 
The  maximum  roll  observed  was  twenty  degrees  to  windward  and 
thirty  degrees  to  leeward. 

At  ten  o'clock  Tuesday  morning  "  all  hands"  were  called  to 
muster,  and  Squadron  Order  No.  4,  issued  by  the  commander-in- 
chief  on  the  12  th  instant,  was  read  to  the  officers  and  crew  as 
follows  : 

"  Commanding  officers  of  vessels  on  the  South  Atlantic  Station 
visiting  Madagascar,  the  east  coast  of  Africa,  or  the  adjacent 
islands  will,  so  far  as  it  may  apply  to  their  commands,  be  guided 
by  the  requirements  of  Section  39,  page  85,  United  States  Navy 
Regulations." 

The  paragraph  referred  to  in  the  above  order  is  chiefly  a  sani- 
tary regulation,  no  officer  or  man  being  allowed  on  shore  after 
sunset. 


164  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 


CHAPTER    X. 

Arrival  at  Tatnatave — The  War  prevents  Communication  with  the  Shore — De- 
parture for  Zanzibar — Events  of  the  Trip — Christtnas  at  Zanzibar — Descrip- 
tion of  Zanzibar  and  its  History — Peculiar  Customs  and  Industries  of  the 
Arabs — The  Commercial  Wealth  of  Zanzibar — African  Slavery — The  Slave 
"  Dhows" — The  Hospitality  of  the  Sultan  of  Zanzibar — Remarkable  Dinner- 
Party  given  by  the  Sultan  to  the  American  Officers — Visit  to  the  Sultan's 
Harem — Labors  of  the  English  Universities — Missions  in  behalf  of  African 
Slaves — Abolition  of  Slavery  in  Zanzibar. 

During  December  we  cruised  in  the  Indian  Ocean  along  the 
east  coast  of  Madagascar  to  Tamatave,  and,  after  a  few  days'  stay 
at  that  port,  put  to  sea  again,  and  proceeded  around  the  north  end 
of  the  island  of  Madagascar,  across  to  the  port  of  Zanzibar,  where 
we  arrived  a  few  days  before  Christmas. 

A  few  extracts  from  the  log  give  the  following  details  of  our 
experience  during  the  month :  At  noon,  December  1,  we  were  in 
latitude  34°  52'  S.,  and  longitude  50°  5'  E.,  from  which  posi- 
tion our  course  was  a  little  east  of  north  to  proceed  along  the  east 
coast  of  Madagascar  to  Tamatave.  We  experienced  light  head- 
winds for  the  first  two  days,  with  rainy,  disagreeable  weather. 
But  the  sea  was  smooth,  and  in  fact  we  had  no  rough  weather 
during  the  entire  month,  and  the  ship  was  very  comfortable. 
December  3  we  had  a  moderate  breeze  from  northwest,  which 
veered  to  southwest  by  the  4th,  and  back  again  to  northeast 
the  next  day.  We  expected  to  have  the  southeast  "  trades," 
but  were  disappointed,  as  the  wind  held  from  the  northeast,  with 
but  little  variation,  and  obliged  us  to  beat  to  windward  to  weather 
the  southeast  coast  of  Madagascar.  We  tacked  ship  six  times  on 
the  6th,  and  the  ship  worked  beautifully  every  time. 

About  noon  the  next  day  we  furled  sail  and  started  ahead  under 
steam,  the  wind  still  being  from  northeast  to  north -northeast.    We 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  165 

then  consumed  all  our  deck-load  of  coal,  and  from  this  time  until 
our  arrival  at  Tamatave,  on  December  11 ,  we  continued  under  steam 
or  sail,  or  both,  when  the  wind  favored,  without  any  special  incident. 

Tamatave  stands  on  a  low  projection  about  five  miles  from  Plum 
Island.  A  reef  encircles  Point  Hastie,  and  the  direct  passage 
leading  to  the  anchorage  is  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide 
between  the  north  point  of  this  reef  and  the  south  point  of  the 
Great  Reef.  These  reefs,  with  a  north  reef,  shelter  the  anchorage 
from  the  northeast,  east,  and  southerly  winds.  There  are  two  other 
reefs  between  Plum  Island  and  the  Great  Reef,  forming  channels, 
either  of  which  may  be  taken  with  caution. 

We  passed  in  and  selected  a  good  berth,  but  had  scarcely  an- 
chored when  an  officer  from  the  French  flag-ship  "  Naiade"  came 
on  board  with  a  request  from  the  French  rear-admiral  for  us  to 
shift  our  berth,  because  we  were  in  the  line  of  fire  between  the 
ship  and  shore.  We  then  shifted  to  an  anchorage  north  of  the 
"  Naiade."  A  French  health  officer  also  came  on  board  and 
granted  us  pratique.  The  place  was  in  a  state  of  siege  and  actu- 
ally in  possession  of  the  French.  The  usual  salutes  were  ex- 
changed between  the  "  Naiade"  and  "  Brooklyn." 

The  town  could '  scarcely  be  distinguished  on  account  of  the 
trees  and  luxuriant  tropical  vegetation,  but  a  French  flag  over  a 
fort  on  shore  gave  evidence  of  the  occupation  of  the  place  by  the 
French  troops.  The  town  is  of  considerable  importance  as  the 
seaport  of  the  capital  of  Madagascar, — Antananarivo.  Before  the 
present  difficulty  with  the  French  it  had  about  ten  thousand  in- 
habitants. The  houses  or  huts  are  made  of  light  wood  or  bamboo, 
and  the  only  buildings  of  any  size  are  those  occupied  by  the 
American,  English,  French,  and  German  consuls.  The  port  of 
Tamatave  has  had  a  very  good  trade,  and  two  American  firms  have 
agents  here,  who  do  a  very  extensive  business  with  the  natives ; 
American  cottons  and  merchandise  being  in  special  demand  in  ex- 
change for  hides,  rubber,  etc.  Madagascar  exports  great  quantities 
of  rice,  and  furnishes  the  main  supply  for  the  negroes  and  natives 


166  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

on  neighboring  islands.  There  b  a  line  of  steamers  which  arrives  at 
Tamatave  every  fourth  Monday  from  Mauritius  and  Bourbon,  and 
then  proceeds  to  St.  Mary's,  Nossi  B6,  and  Mayotta  Island  and  re- 
turn, stopping  at  the  same  ports.  This,  the  Armange's  line,  is  to  be 
extended  to  run  monthly  between  Mauritius  and  Zanzibar,  stopping 
at  the  above  ports,  and  also  at  Johanna  Island  and  Mozambique. 

The  Hovas  are  the  dominant  tribe  on  the  island,  and  they  are 
much  superior  in  intelligence  and  energy  to  all  the  other  races  in 
the  vicinity.  Of  these  there  were  none  in  the  town,  because  of 
the  war  with  the  French  at  the  time  of  our  visit.  All  who  came 
oflF  to  the  ship  did  so  by  the  French  boats.  The  first  visitor  was 
our  vice-consul,  Mr.  Whitney,  with  his  clerk,  Mr.  Poupard.  The 
British  consul  had  left  the  port  before  our  arrival,  and  the  German 
consul  was  the  only  other  foreign  representative  present,  and  he 
also  paid  his  respects  to  the  commodore  and  Captain  Weaver. 

The  commander-in-chief,  with  his  personal  staff,  called  on  Rear- 
Admiral  Galibert  on  the  morning  after  our  arrival,  which  visit  the 
French  admiral  returned  the  same  afternoon.  The  French  commis- 
sioner called  on  Commodore  Phelps  the  next  day.  Salutes  were 
fired  as  prescribed  by  the  regulations  when  these  official  visits  were 
made,  and  duly  returned  by  the  *'  Brooklyn"  and  "  Naiade."  We 
also  had  visits  from  Mr.  Sprague,  agent  for  George  Ropes,  of  Bos- 
ton, Mr.  Drew,  and  an  English  clergyman. 

The  appearance  of  the  tropical  verdure,  the  surf  on  the  coral 
reef  to  seaward,  and  rolling  mountainous  country  back  of  the 
swamp  land  and  rice-fields  were  very  attractive ;  but  the  state  of 
siege  deprived  us  of  fresh  tropical  fruits  which  we  longed  for  after 
our  four  weeks'  fare  on  salt  provisions,  though  some  of  the  visitors 
kindly  sent  off  some  cocoanuts  and  a  few  pineapples  for  some  of 
the  officers. 

We  remained  at  Tamatave  until  Saturday,  December  15,  and 
during  our  stay  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  for  small-arm 
target-practice,  with  the  Hotchkiss  magazine-rifles  at  floating  tar- 
gets at  ranges  of  three  hundred  yards.     The  practice  was  very  fair. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  167 

On  the  14th  the  French  corvette  "  Beautemps  Beaupro"  came 
into  the  harbor,  and  her  commanding  officer  called  on  Commodore 
Phelps,  which  visit  was  duly  returned.  The  French  gunboat 
*'  Vaudreuil"  came  in  as  we  began  to  unmoor,  and  before  we  got 
under  way  the  English  gunboat  "  Tourmaline"  also  came  in  the 
harbor  and  saluted  the  commodore's  flag  with  eleven  guns,  which 
we  returned  gun  for  gun. 

We  got  under  way  at  eleven  a.m.,  and  steamed  out  of  the  harbor 
to  continue  our  cruise,  and  proceeded  to  the  northward  under 
steam,  and  made  and  reduced  sail  as  occasion  required.  December 
17  rounded  the  northern  point  of  Madagascar — Cape  Amber — 
and  laid  our  course  direct  for  Zanzibar.  From  noon  of  that  day 
to  noon  of  the  next  we  logged  the  biggest  run  of  the  cruise,  the 
distance  made  good  being  two  hundred  and  thirty  miles.  During 
this  passage  we  experienced  fair  weather,  with  bright  moonlight 
nights,  but  the  temperature  was  decidedly  tropical,  ranging  from 
88°  during  the  day  to  81°  during  the  night.  The  temperature 
of  the  sea-water  at  the  surface  was  almost  constantly  at  from  85° 
to  87°.  The  engineer's  department  had  the  most  difficult  task, 
and  the  rest  of  the  ship's  company  did  not  envy  the  firemen  their 
arduous  duties  in  the  fire-room  in  such  hot  weather. 

On  December  19  we  went  to  general  quarters,  and  exercised 
at  target-practice  with  great  guns.  Three  rounds  were  fired  at  a 
regulation  target,  at  distances  of  from  nine  hundred  to  twelve  hun- 
dred yards,  from  the  starboard  broadside  battery  and  pivots.  The 
practice  was  very  good,  everything  being  favorable  for  the  exercise. 
During  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  we  steamed  in  a  circle 
to  find  the  compass  error  by  bearings  of  the  sun,  with  the  ship's 
bead  on  each  point  of  the  compass.  The  experiment  was  also  re- 
sumed the  next  morning,  when  the  sun  bore  about  east,  or  nearest 
what  is  technically  termed  the  "  prime  vertical." 

At  eight  A.M.  on  Friday,  December  21,  we  sighted  Zanzibar 
Island,  arrived  off  the  city  at  three  p.m.,  and  anchored  about 
a  mile   from   the   landing.     The   sultan's   flag-ship   "  Glasgow" 


168  THE  CRUISE  OF   THE  BROOKLYN. 

hoisted  the  American  flag  before  we  had  anchored  and  saluted  the 
commodore  with  thirteen  guns,  as  a  special  mark  of  the  amicable 
relations  with  the  United  States.  This  salute  was  duly  returned, 
gun  for  gun,  after  which  we  fired  the  national  salute  with  the 
Zanzibar  flag  at  the  fore.  This  flag  is  a  simple  plain  red  flag, 
without  a  crescent  or  other  distinguishing  mark.  We  found  Her 
British  Majesty's  ships  "Dryad"  and  "London"  at  anchor  in 
the  harbor,  and  several  steamers  belonging  to  the  sultan,  one  of 
which,  the  "  Glasgow,"  is  equipped  as  a  gunboat. 

Mr.  F.  W.  Cheney,  the  United  States  consul,  visited  the  ship 
shortly  after  we  had  anchored.  Official  visits  were  received  and 
returned  by  Commodore  Phelps  and  Captain  Weaver  from  the 
commanding  officers  of  the  "  Dryad"  and  "  London,"  the  English 
consul-general  and  vice-consul,  and  the  German,  French,  and  Bel- 
gian consuls  during  the  several  days  following. 

The  bumboats,  with  laundrymen,  butchers,  etc.,  gave  us  a  cor- 
dial reception,  and  came  off  promptly  to  welcome  us  and  offer 
their  services.  The  bumboats  brought  quantities  of  cocoanuts, 
most  delicious  pineapples  and  mangoes,  with  other  fruits  and  veg- 
etables, which  were  heartily  enjoyed.  The  pineapples  of  Zanzibar 
are  very  nice,  and  far  superior  to  those  in  America;  they  are 
very  juicy  and  tender  and  have  a  delicious  flavor.  The  mangoes 
are  extraordinary,  and  so  superior  to  those  found  in  the  West  In- 
dies and  South  America  that  they  ought  to  have  different  names. 
These  mangoes  have  none  of  the  turpentine  flavor  so  common  to 
others,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  express  how  very  much  the 
ship's  company  enjoyed  them.  Salt  horse  and  pork  had  sharp- 
ened all  appetites,  and  this  fruit  was  so  delicious  ! 

The  Hindis  merchants  in  the  bumboats  brought  off  quantities 
of  Madagascar  mats,  African  spears,  bows  and  arrows,  and  other 
curios,  which  were  eagerly  bought  by  all  hands  at  much  higher 
prices  than  the  usual  market  rates. 

We  had  no  special  celebration  of  Christmas-day ;  the  caterers 
of  the  messes  tried  to  keep  up  pleasant  reminiscences,  and  some 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  169 

had  plum  duff  and  other  delicacies  to  recall  the  meny  scenes  with 
which  the  time  is  so  happily  associated ;  but  the  tropical  sun,  the 
Mohammedan  city,  and  other  circumstances  made  it  difficult  to 
realize  that  Christmas  had  come  again.  They  say  it  only  comes 
once  a  year,  but  this  day  did  not  appear  different  from  any  other, 
only  we  did  not  have  any  drills,  and  the  Sunday  routine  was  sub- 
stituted for  that  of  Tuesday,  except  that  the  inspection  was 
omitted,  and  we  had  a  chance  to  take  a  rest. 

The  next  day  we  commenced  coaling  ship,  and  received  one 
hundred  and  twenty -five  tons  from  7.50  A.M.  to  five  P.M. 
The  coal  was  brought  alongside  in  lighters,  which  were  discharged 
by  the  negro  laborers  employed  by  the  firm  which  sold  the  coal. 
It  was  very  amusing  to  see  these  negroes  carry  the  coal  to  the 
bunker-shutes.  The  lighters  were  loaded  with  small  wicker  bas- 
kets, each  with  forty  pounds  of  coal,  which  were  passed  up  by 
gangs  to  the  deck,  and  then  carried  on  the  heads  of  the  runners 
to  the  bunker-shutes.  These  negroes  kept  up  a  noisy  series  of 
gymnastics  in  passing  the  coal ;  they  sang,  shouted,  and  jumped 
around  in  the  wildest  excitement,  which,  in  the  oppressive  sun- 
shine, seemed  almost  impossible.  Their  strange  antics  afforded 
great  amusement  to  the  ship's  company,  and  their  laughter  encour- 
aged them  to  keep  it  up.  They  worked  very  well  and  filled  our 
bunkers  by  three  P.M.  the  next  day,  so  that  we  received  two  hun- 
dred and  five  tons  in  less  than  sixteen  hours. 

ZANZIBAR. 

Zanzibar  is  a  country  on  the  east  coast  of  Africa,  comprising 
the  islands  of  Zanzibar,  Pemba,  Mafia,  and  other  smaller  islands, 
and  the  coast  opposite  to  them  from  latitude  2°  30'  N.  to  10°  45'  S. 
The  word  Zanzibar  is  a  modification  of  Zinguebar,  the  name 
by  which  the  country  was  originally  known  by  the  Portuguese 
traders.  "  Zing"  was  the  old  Arabic  name  of  the  East  African 
negroes,  and  *'  bar"  is  the  Persian  or  Indian  word  for  country. 
The  name  is  disused  by  the  natives,  but  Europeans  designate  the 


170  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

entire  country  ruled  by  the  Sultan  or  Seyid  of  Zanzibar  by  that 
name. 

The  mainland  has  been  but  little  explored  back  of  the  coast,  as 
the  Seyid's  authority  is  scarcely  recognized  beyond  the  walled 
towns  garrisoned  by  his  troops.  Stanley  started  on  his  exploring 
expedition  into  Africa  from  this  coast.  There  are  a  number  of 
small  rivers  on  the  coast,  and  the  country  watered  by  them  is  very 
fertile.  All  kinds  of  tropical  productions  are  supplied,  including 
sugar,  cotton,  coffee,  cocoa,  cloves,  nutmegs,  cinnamon,  Guinea 
pepper,  sesame,  and  indigo,  besides  maize,  millet,  and  rice.  The 
forests  furnish  valuable  timber  of  caoutchouc  and  copal,  and  much 
fossil  copal  is  dug  in  the  country  south  of  the  island  of  Zanzibar. 
All  kinds  of  tropical  fruits  and  vegetables  abound.  The  elephant, 
rhinoceros,  lion,  leopard,  hippopotamus,  several  kinds  of  antelopes, 
and  the  crocodile  are  found ;  and  the  rivers  are  well  stocked  with 
fish.     Cattle,  sheep,  goats,  and  fowls  are  abundant. 

The  principal  towns  on  the  coast  held  by  the  Seyid  are  Makdishu, 
Marka,  and  Barawa,  in  the  Soumali  country,  and  eight  towns  on 
the  Galla  coast  and  to  the  southward.  The  island  of  Pemba  has 
an  area  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-seven  square  miles,  and  that 
of  Mafia  two  hundred  square  miles.  Zanzibar  Island,  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Arab  power  on  the  east  coast  of  Africa,  is  the 
largest  and  most  important  of  the  many  coralline  islands  border- 
ing the  shore,  and  is  the  seat  of  most  of  the  trade  between  this 
coast  and  the  Arabian  or  Indian  ports  by  sea,  as  well  as  that  with 
the  central  parts  of  Africa  by  land. 

The  sixth  parallel  of  south  latitude  runs  through  the  island, 
which  is  twenty-seven  miles  long  in  a  north  and  south  direction, 
and  twenty-one  miles  broad  at  its  widest  part,  which  is  the  line 
east-northeast  from  the  city.  The  island  stands  on  a  coral  flat, 
the  result  of  many  years'  action  of  the  waves  on  the  original  steep 
low  cliffs,  which  doubtless  edged  the  island  when  first  raised  from 
the  sea  by  upheaval.  Parts  of  the  island  are  most  fertile,  and 
tropical  cereals,  etc.,  grow  profusely.     In  1872  a  fearful  hurricane 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  171 

visited  the  island,  which  destroyed  four-fifths  of  the  cocoanuts,  and 
levelled  nearly  all  the  groves  of  clove-trees.  These  are  the  principal 
productions,  and  they  have  hardly  yet  recovered  from  this  loss. 

Unjuga,  the  chief  city,  generally  called  Zanzibar,  is  built  on 
the  west  side  of  the  island  and  has  an  excellent  harbor.  The 
houses  are  built  on  the  lowland  and  are  dazzling  white  in  color. 
The  sultan's  palace  and  harem  are  conspicuous  in  the  centre  of 
the  line  of  buildings  facing  the  harbor.  A  tower,  but  little  higher 
than  the  palace,  rises  from  the  pavilion  in  front  and  has  an  electric 
light  on  top.  The  mosque  is  a  little  to  the  rear  of  the  palace, 
and  is  a  very  small  building.  The  towers  of  the  old  fort  are 
seen  over  a  casemated  water  battery  of  32-pounders  west  of  the 
palace,  and  back  on  either  side  are  the  houses  of  the  American 
and  European  consuls.  The  large  square  building  on  the  point 
is  the  British  consulate-general,  formerly  the  Central  African 
mission-house.  These  buildings  along  the  water  front  give  the 
city  an  imposing  appearance  from  the  harbor ;  but  they  hide  the 
meaner  habitations  of  which  the  city  is  composed.  There  are  no 
regular  streets,  and  the  houses  are  built  in  the  most  irregular  order 
and  have  only  narrow  circuitous  lanes  between  them,  averaging 
from  six  to  nine  feet  wide.  It  is  quite  rare  to  find  a  row  of  more 
than  five  or  six  houses,  and  these  have  short  thatched  projecting 
roofs  over  the  doors,  so  that  the  space  for  pedestrians  is  still  more 
curtailed.  Carriages  or  vehicles  are  impossible  in  the  heart  of 
the  city,  and  when  one  meets  a  camel  or  a  cow  coming  in  the 
opposite  direction  it  is  difficult  to  pass.  It  is  absolutely  necessary 
for  strangers  to  have  a  guide  to  go  through  the  town.  The  streets 
have  a  strong  odor  of  cloves,  and  though  they  are  swept  clean, 
yet  strong  smells  are  quite  prevalent.  The  bazaars  are  small,  and 
no  eflFort  is  made  to  display  the  wares  for  sale.  The  Hindis  and 
Banyans  do  most  of  the  native  trade,  while  the  American  and 
European  firms  have  most  of  the  foreign  trade.  The  American 
firms  of  Arnold,  Hines  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  Ropes,  Immerton 
&  Co.,  and  George  Ropes,  of  Boston,  do  the  most  extensive  busi- 


172  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

ness  in  ivory,  copal,  rubber,  and  cloves;  this  being  the  principal 
ivory  market  in  the  world.  The  trade  with  the  United  States  iu 
ivory,  copal,  and  cloves  in  exchange  for  cottons,  kerosene,  and 
merchandise  is  about  equal  to  one-half  the  entire  foreign  trade  of 
the  port,  excluding  that  with  India.  These  American  firms  have 
orders  for  twelve  thousand  pounds  of  ivory  monthly,  and  they  can- 
not begin  to  fill  the  orders.  Ivory  is  very  dear  at  present,  worth  four 
dollars  a  pound,  and  as  it  is  becoming  more  and  more  scarce  the 
price  will  continue  to  rise.  The  best  qualities  of  ivory  are  sent 
to  the  United  States  for  billiard-balls,  ivory  rings,  and  piano-forte 
keys,  all  designed  in  cutting  to  avoid  waste,  and  this  is  so  impor- 
tant that  the  tusks  are  selected  for  the  various  purposes  required 
before  being  shipped  from  Zanzibar.  The  inferior  qualities  of 
ivory  are  sent  to  China. 

In  1872  the  exports  from  Zanzibar  amounted  to  two  million 
five  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  the  imports  about  the  same. 
The  exports  of  ivory  amounted  to  seven  hundred  and  seventy 
thousand  dollars,  of  gum  copal  two  hundred  and  eighty-four  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  of  cloves  to  two  hundred  and  sixty-seven  thousand 
dollars. 

The  native  industries  are  of  the  most  primitive  character,  Co- 
coanut  oil  is  made  in  conical  stone  pits,  in  which  a  long  beam  is 
worked  to  grind  the  meat  to  oil.  A  blindfolded  camel  is  hitched 
to  one  end  of  the  beam,  and,  in  walking  around  the  pit,  causes  the 
beam  to  squeeze  the  oil  out  of  the  cocoanut-paste  in  the  pit. 
The  action  is  the  same  as  that  which  would  be  eflFected  by  a  moi> 
tar  and  pestle.  Flour  is  also  ground  by  women,  by  means  of  two 
stones,  in  the  same  manner  as  described  in  the  Bible. 

The  history  of  Zanzibar  and  of  the  neighboring  countries  is 
merely  that  of  a  succession  of  Arabiati  conquests.  One  tribe  con- 
quered the  natives,  and,  by  intermarriages,  adopted  their  customs, 
by  which  they  sank  into  the  same  effete  condition  as  the  natives ; 
other  tribes  came  and  pursued  the  same  course,  so  that  the  effect 
of  all  is  a  race  and  language  in  which  the  Arabian  and  African 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  173 

elements  are  thoroughly  mingled.  The  language  most  universal 
is  the  Swahili,  that  of  the  natives.  A  great  many  negroes,  espe- 
cially those  who  have  been  raised  in  the  English  Church,  Central 
African  Mission,  speak  English. 

The  present  sultan  is  the  Seyid  Burghash  of  Zanzibar,  Bin 
Seyid  Bin  Sultan,  who  succeeded  his  older  brother  Majid  in  1870. 
His  father  was  the  Seyid  Said  of  Oman  as  well  as  ruler  of  Zan- 
zibar. The  eldest  son,  Thoweing,  became  Seyid  of  Oman,  and 
Majid  that  of  this  country.  The  nobles  are  Arabians  and  the 
merchants  chiefly  Hindis  and  Banyans  (Mohammedans  and 
heathens  from  India).  The  lowest  classes  of  the  inhabitants  are 
the  natives  from  the  interior,  either  slaves  or  free.  It  is  difficult 
to  distinguish  the  slaves  from  the  free  negroes,  and  it  is  common 
for  slaves  to  pay  their  masters  two  dollars  a  month  and  then  shift  for 
themselves.  The  lowest  wages  for  unskilled  labor  is  eight  pice  a 
day,  about  six  cents,  which  is  sufficient  for  support.  A  laborer's 
clothing  is  made  of  a  few  yards  of  cotton-cloth  or  calico,  like  a 
long  gown,  and  this  lasts  for  half  a  year,  while  the  ordinary  food 
is  cassava-root  and  salt  shark.  Skilled  workmen  receive  about 
twenty-five  cents  a  day,  which,  considering  the  relative  cost  of 
support,  is  very  good.  Besides  these  there  are  the  people  of  She- 
her,  who  do  all  the  work  requiring  energy  and  strength,  people 
from  the-  Comoro  Islands,  Madagascar,  many  representatives  from 
East  Indies,  Turks,  Persians,  Belochees,  and  Abyssinians,  a  few 
Europeans,  and  six  Americans. 

The  better  classes  of  the  citizens  of  Zanzibar  lead  very  idle 
lives.  The  usual  course  of  a  day  for  a  man  is  something  like  this  : 
Soon  after  daylight  he  rises  and  goes  through  his  devotions,  after 
which  he  lies  or  sits  in  his  bed  (a  frame  supporting  a  grass  mat, 
laced  by  cocoanut  cords)  until  ten  or  eleven  o'clock.  Every  house 
has  a  seat  called  "  bareza"  outside  the  door,  where  the  master 
spreads  a  mat  and  awaits  callers.  At  noon  they  have  a  meal  con- 
sisting of  rice,  fish  cooked  with  currie,  or,  for  the  richer  classes, 
fowl,  sweetmeats,  and  fruit.    In  the  afternoons  the  "  society"  men 

12 


174  ^^^  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

dress  and  scent  themselves  and  go  out  calling.  Coffee  is  served 
in  the  aflernoon,  and  at  sunset  they  have  their  evening  devotions 
and  another  meal  as  before.  In  this  connection  it  should  be  re- 
membered that  the  sun  rises  and  sets  within  twenty  minutes  be- 
fore and  after  six  o'clock  all  the  year  round,  and  the  clock  on  the 
tower  and  all  timepieces  of  the  citizens  are  set  so  that  it  is  twelve 
o'clock  at  sunrise,  six  o'clock  at  noon,  and  twelve  o'clock  at  sunset, 
the  sultan's  clock  being  regulated  to  the  time  of  sunset  about  once 
in  every  ten  days. 

The  women  are  even  more  idle  than  the  men,  their  only  recog- 
nized employment  being  a  little  cooking  and  sweetmeat-making. 
Men  do  all  the  needle-work  and  dressmaking,  and  there  are  but 
few  women  who  know  how  to  do  it.  The  richer  women  pass  the 
greater  part  of  their  time  lying  abed,  being  fanned  by  slave  girls. 
They  cannot  read  nor  write,  and  are  kept  in  the  greatest  igno- 
rance. A  widow  cannot  inherit  any  of  her  husband's  property, 
all  of  which  must  go  to  his  sons,  though  some  of  the  nobles  pro- 
vide for  their  wives  handsomely  by  giving  them  jewelry  and  per- 
sonal property  sufl&cient  to  support  them  for  life.  The  lower 
classes  of  women  are  laborers  like  men,  chiefly  employed  in 
plaiting  mats  and  as  water-carriers,  numbers  of  whom  are  seen 
in  all  the  thoroughfares  with  large  water-jugs  on  their  heads, 
going  to  and  from  the  reservoirs. 

The  population  of  the  entire  country  is  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand,  of  whom  eighty  thousand  live  in  the  capital.  The 
negroes,  both  slave  and  free,  form  the  working  class,  and  number 
about  two  hundred  thousand,  of  whom  fifty  thousand  live  in  the 
city. 

The  water-supply  reflects  great  credit  on  the  intelligent  policy 
of  His  Highness  Sultan  Burghash.  A  small  stream  of  pure 
spring  water,  near  the  city,  is  conducted  through  water-pipes  to 
the  sultan's  palace,  with  branch  pipes  to  various  parts  of  the  city, 
where  small  reservoirs  are  placed,  from  which  pure  water  can  be 
drawn  through  faucets,  the  overflow  from  the  reservoir  being  led 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  175 

down  to  the  beach.  Men-of-war's  steam-launches  are  supplied 
with  fresh  water,  free  of  charge,  by  connecting  a  length  of  hose 
to  the  reservoir  faucets. 

The  heavier  articles  of  merchandise,  etc.,  are  transported  by 
being  slung  from  the  centre  of  a  long  pole  and  carried  by  one  or 
two  porters  at  each  end.  The  lighter  articles  are  invariably  car- 
ried on  the  head.  There  is  a  narrow  tramway  near  the  palace, 
the  carts  of  which  are  drawn  by  oxen,  which  is  now  used  for 
transporting  stone  for  the  sultan's  new  harem.  It  is  also  used  for 
bringing  in  cloves  for  shipment,  in  season. 

The  sultan  owns  all  the  carriages  in  the  city,  about  seventy-five 
in  all,  which  he  kindly  sends  to  the  foreign  consuls  whenever  they 
desire.  There  are  but  few  horses,  excepting  those  owned  by  the 
sultan,  but  donkeys  are  quite  plentiful. 

Slave-trade  was  abolished  by  Seyid  Burghash  in  1873,  and  spe- 
cial treaties  were  ratified  with  England  for  that  purpose  in  1875 
and  1876,  Slaves,  however,  are  surreptitiously  introduced  by 
"  dhows"  from  the  coast,  though  many  are  caught,  from  time  to 
time,  by  the  British  cruisers,  A  special  treaty  with  England  has 
been  signed,  by  which  slavery  will  be  totally  abolished  on  August 
4,  1889,  The  English  Universities  Missions  are  doing  excellent 
work  in  the  providing  for  the  slaves  which  are  rescued  from  the 
slave  "  dhows."  This  mission  was  established  in  Zanzibar  in 
1864  by  Bishop  Tozer,  and  it  has  made  great  progress  in  Chris- 
tianizing the  coast  country  of  Central  Africa.  In  Zanzibar  the 
mission  has  now  a  fine  large  church  building  on  the  site  of  the 
old  slave-market,  with  schools  for  infants,  girls  and  boys,  in  con- 
nection with  which  there  are  workshops,  printing-office  (the  only 
one  in  that  country),  and  gardens  at  the  mission  farm  of  Mbweni, 
a  dispensary  and  school  for  children  of  the  town.  There  are  ten 
mission  stations  on  the  mainland,  which  include  the  district  as  far 
west  as  Lake  Nyassa,  The  Roman  Catholics  also  have  a  mission 
centre  in  Zanzibar  under  the  auspices  of  the  French  clergy,  and 
their  work,  in  Central  Africa  and  in  the  city,  is  very  prosperous 


176  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

and  beneficial  in  Christianizing  the  African  negroes.  The  plan  of  the 
missionaries  is  to  teach  the  natives  to  become  missionaries  themselves 
if  competent ;  those  who  are  not,  are  taught  some  trade  in  the  work- 
shops by  which  they  can  support  themselves.  These  freed  slaves, 
thus  Christianized,  will  then  eventually  form  self-supporting  com- 
mutities,  and  assist  as  missionaries  to  their  native  homes. 

The  sultan  has  six  steamers  purchased  from  British  steamship 
companies,  which  he  uses  for  transporting  cloves  and  for  the  pil- 
grimages of  the  Mohammedans  to  Mecca.  He  also  has  one 
armed  steamer,  the  "  Grlasgow,"  from  which  salutes  are  fired. 
The  mail  communication  is  monthly  by  steamers  to  Aden,  and 
another  line  to  Mozambique.  One  month  is  occupied  by  post  to 
the  United  States  via  the  Red  Sea  and  Europe. 

The  climate  of  Zanzibar  is  much  healthier  than  generally  be- 
lieved, and  its  sanitary  condition  compares  favorably  with  that  of 
most  tropical  cities  in  the  world.  The  thermometer  ranges  from 
seventy-six  to  eighty-three  degrees  all  the  year  round,  and  ex- 
tremes are  unknown.  The  southwest  monsoons  blow  from  May 
to  November,  and  this  season  is  remarkably  pleasant.  The  north- 
east monsoons  come  after  a  rainy  season  in  December,  and  are  fol- 
lowed a  little  later  in  March  by  a  second  rainy  season,  which  is 
the  most  unfavorable  of  the  year.  The  climate  is,  however,  de- 
bilitating, and  the  missionaries  and  agents  of  mercantile  houses 
rarely  remain  for  more  than  three  years  without  going  home  to 
recuperate. 

THE  HOSPITALITY  OF  THE  SULTAN  OF  ZANZIBAR. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  most  friendly  relations  have  always 
existed  between  the  United  States  government  and  that  of  His 
Highness  Sultan  Burghash,  and  especially  that  the  former  only 
desires  to  cultivate  this  friendship  by  a  mutually  beneficial  trade 
and  commerce,  the  sultan  felt  particularly  desirous  to  manifest 
his  regard  for  the  United  States,  upon  the  arrival  of  the  "  Brook- 
lyn," and  took  a  great  deal  of  pains  to  extend  a  cordial  welcome 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  I77 

to  Commodore  Phelps,  Captain  Weaver,  and  the  officers  of  the 
ship.  An  official  reception  was  arranged  through  Mr.  Cheney, 
the  United  States  consul,  for  9.30  a.m.,  Friday,  December  28, 
which  was  attended  with  a  great  deal  of  Eastern  ceremony. 

The  commodore,  with  the  entire  staff  and  as  many  officers  as 
could  be  spared  from  the  ship,  assembled  at  the  United  States 
consulate  and  walked  to  the  palace  through  the  open  ranks  of  a 
long  line  of  Arab  soldiers.  Upon  arriving  at  the  pavilion  in 
front  of  the  palace,  they  were  received  by  the  regular  army,  con- 
sisting of  fourteen  hundred  men,  under  the  command  of  General 
Matthews,  formerly  a  lieutenant  in  the  English  navy.  These 
troops  were  drawn  up  in  line  and  presented  arms,  while  the  band 
played  our  national  air.  A  salute  of  thirteen  guns  was  fired  in 
honor  of  Commodore  Phelps,  which  was  then  promptly  returned 
by  the  "  Brooklyn." 

The  party  entered  the  palace  and  were  conducted  up  a  flight  of 
stairs,  at  the  head  of  which  they  met  the  sultan,  and  were  all 
presented  to  his  highness,  afler  which  they  went  into  the  diplo- 
matic reception-room.  The  sultan  then  came  in  and  took  a  seat 
at  the  head  of  the  room.  The  American  officers  had  seats  in 
order  of  their  rank  on  the  left  side,  while  a  party  of  Arab  nobles 
sat  in  the  same  order  on  the  right;  the  commodore.  Captain 
Weaver,  and  the  United  States  consul  being  nearest  the  sultan, 
with  whom  they  carried  on  some  conversation  through  an  inter- 
preter, and  expressed  the  friendly  sentiments  entertained  by  both 
nations.  The  sultan's  cup-bearer  then  came  in  with  a  corps  of  as- 
sistants, Arab  noblemen,  and  handed  around  sherbet  to  the  sultan 
and  the  officers.  After  drinking  the  sherbet  the  assistants  left  the 
room  and  returned  with  black  coffee,  which  they  served  in  deli- 
cate china  cups  with  golden  holders.  After  this  they  came  in 
again  with  bottles  of  attar  of  roses,  which  they  poured  on  the 
officers'  handkerchiefs.  The  sultan  then  rose  and  walked  to  the 
head  of  the  stairs,  followed  by  the  officers,  who  shook  hands  with 
the  sultan  and  took  their  departure.     The  troops  outside  came  to 


178  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

"  present  arms,"  while  the  band  struck  up  our  national  hymn. 
The  officers  then  returned  to  the  ship. 

The  sultan  had  previously  arranged  to  give  the  officers  a  grand 
dinner  at  the  palace,  which  took  place  at  eight  o'clock  the  same 
evening.  Elaborate  preparations  were  made,  and  the  dinner  was 
a  very  sumptuous  repast.  The  bill  of  fare  and  programme  of 
music  were  nicely  printed  on  card-board,  with  Arabic  edging  and 
the  sultan's  monogram  at  the  head  of  the  list  in  gilded  Arabic 
characters.  It  was  an  elegant  European  dinner  of  twenty-two 
courses,  with  four  iced  puddings  as  a  specialty.  These  were 
named  by  the  sultan  himself  in  honor  of  "  The  Republic,"  Presi- 
dent Arthur,  and  the  Honorable  Secretaries  Chandler  and  Freling- 
huysen,  in  lieu  of  toasts. 

The  officers  were  received  in  one  wing  of  one  of  the  palaces, 
and  from  there  conducted  by  the  sultan  to  the  dining-room.  This 
was  in  a  long  corridor,  which  opened  upon  an  inner  court  in  which 
the  bands  of  music  were  stationed.  The  sultan  sat  in  the  centre 
with  Commodore  Phelps  on  his  right,  Mrs.  Cheney  on  his  left, 
Captain  Weaver  and  the  United  States  consul  directly  opposite. 
The  other  officers,  sixteen  in  all,  occupied  seats  according  to  rank, 
more  or  less  remote  from  his  highness.  Three  of  the  highest  Arab 
dignitaries  occupied  one  end  of  the  table,  and  the  sultan's  brother, 
with  the  rich  Hindi  merchant,  Mr.  Taria  Topin,  at  the  other. 

The  room  was  beautifully  trimmed  with  flowers,  branches  of 
palms,  and  tropical  plants.  The  table  looked  very  attractive  with 
silver  candelabra,  containing  red,  white,  and  blue  wax  candles, 
handsome  bouquets  of  flowers,  and  very  elegant  cut-glass  decan- 
ters and  goblets.  At  each  place  there  were  three  decanters  of 
iced  sherbets  of  different  flavors;  no  wines  were  served  at  any 
time,  being  prohibited  by  the  Koran.  Each  one  had  one  gold 
knife,  fork,  and  spoon,  and  others  of  silver.  The  china  was  ex- 
ceedingly handsome,  probably  from  India.  A  Portuguese  band 
in  the  sultan's  employ  played  selections  from  operas,  etc.,  like  a 
European  band,  and  alternated  with  an  Arab  band  which  played 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  I79 

distinctive  Arab  airs,  which  sounded  wild  and  weird.  A  chorus 
of  men  also  sang  "  The  Red,  White,  and  Blue,"  with  band  accom- 
paniment, and  as  a  special  compliment  the  American  drinking- 
song,  "  For  he's  a  Jolly  Good  Fellow,"  learned  for  the  occasion. 

After  dinner  they  were  conducted  over  a  covered  way  to  the 
private  palace,  and  on  to  the  third-story  balcony,  from  which  they 
viewed  a  magnificent  display  of  fireworks,  coffee  being  served  at 
intervals,  but  no  cigars,  as  Arab  Mohammedans  do  not  smoke.  At 
the  departure  they  scented  the  officers'  handkerchiefs  with  attar 
of  roses,  as  in  the  morning,  and  the  sultan  accompanied  them 
down-stairs,  and  cordially  shook  hands  with  each  one  as  he  bade 
them  good-night.  The  officers  returned  on  board  at  midnight 
heartily  pleased  with  the  entertainment. 

The  next  day  the  sultan  arranged  for  a  pleasant  afternoon  drive 
to  his  summer  palace,  three  miles  from  the  city.  The  officers  met 
at  the  consulate  and  took  carriages  in  the  nearest  street  wide 
enough  for  vehicles.  They  drove  to  a  harem  near  the  city,  where 
they  met  the  sultan  on  the  steps.  The  officers  were  conducted 
to  a  large  room,  handsomely  carpeted  and  hung  with  Persian 
tapestry.  A  large  marble  basin  occupied  the  centre  of  the  room, 
and  everything  indicated  great  Oriental  luxury.  The  official  re- 
ception of  the  commodore  and  officers  took  place  in  one  of  the 
side  rooms,  and  in  another  they  were  served  with  ices,  cake,  sweet- 
meats, and  fruit.  From  this  room  they  were  conducted  through 
a  beautiful  garden,  and  after  an  admiring  inspection  went  on  to 
the  gate,  where  the  sultan's  carriage  and  the  whole  cortege  of 
fifteen  carriages  awaited  them,  in  which  they  were  driven  to  a 
country  palace,  three  miles  out  of  town.  The  sultan  rode  alone 
in  a  very  handsome  European  barouche,  drawn  by  four  beautiful 
full-blooded  gray  Arab  steeds.  His  carriage  was  surrounded  by 
sixteen  of  his  mounted  body-guard,  armed  with  lances  and  car- 
bines. Commodore  Phelps,  the  United  States  consul  with  his 
wife,  and  Dr.  Burbank  occupied  the  second  carriage,  very  similar 
to  the  first,  with  two  footmen.    The  officers  and  some  Arab  noble- 


180  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

men  occupied  the  other  carriages,  drawn  by  two  horses.  The 
road  was  good,  and  the  drive  through  the  luxuriant  tropical 
country  very  enjoyable.  The  party  quickly  arrived  at  their  des- 
tination, and  were  conducted  through  the  palace,  which  was  the 
most  handsomely  furnished  of  all  they  had  seen.  After  this  they 
went  to  a  long  low  building  used  solely  as  a  dining-room,  in  which 
they  were  served  with  coflfee,  sherbet,  and  fresh  cocoanuts  from 
neighboring  palms,  each  containing  a  lump  of  ice.  The  milk  was 
drank  from  the  cocoanut,  as  is  the  custom  in  the  country.  The 
sultan  then  excused  himself  because  of  the  time  for  evening 
prayer,  and  requesting  the  officers  to  make  themselves  at  home  in 
the  gardens  and  palace,  withdrew  to  his  carriage  and  to  the 
mosque  in  town.  The  officers  then  walked  around  the  gardens 
and  enjoyed  every  moment  in  this  delightful  paradise,  but  had  to 
leave  to  return  on  board  by  sunset.  We  expected  to  have  a  visit 
from  the  sultan  on  board  ship.  His  highness  was  unfortunately 
taken  ill  the  evening  before  the  day  appointed  for  his  visit,  and 
his  health  did  not  permit  his  making  the  visit  during  our  stay  in 
the  port. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Departure  for  the  Comoro  Islanda — Arrival  at  Johanna — Description  of  the 
Comoro  Islands — Arrival  at  Nossi  B6 — A  Sugar  Plantation  at  Nossi  B6 — 
Arrival  at  Majunga,  on  the  West  Coast  of  Madagascar — Visit  to  a  Sakalava 
Queen — EfiFects  of  the  French  Bombardment — Arrival  at  Mozambique — De- 
scription and  History  of  Mozambique — The  African  Explorations — Discov- 
ery of  Makala  Bay — The  Great  Importance  of  this  Valuable  Harbor — India- 
rubber  Trees. 

Homeward  bound !  But  only  indirectly.  The  new  year 
began  its  course,  and  while  we  exchanged  the  usual  salutations 
upon  its  advent,  the  happy  thought,  that  it  would  find  us  home 
again,  brightened  these  congratulations  immensely.     The  Ameri- 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  181 

can  consul  and  his  wife,  Mrs.  Cheney,  all  the  Americans,  and  a 
number  of  the  Europeans  in  Zanzibar  visited  the  ship  and  added 
a  great  deal  to  our  appreciation  of  the  day.  It  was  something  to 
keep  us  in  communion  with  those  at  home,  for  they  were  doubt- 
less exchanging  the  compliments  of  the  season,  and  so  were  we. 

The  next  day,  January  2,  we  received  a  deck -load  of  coal  in 
bags  and  made  preparations  for  sea.  We  got  under  way  at  9.20 
A.M.  on  the  4th  and  started  to  go  down  the  channel,  in  between 
the  coral  reefs  and  islets  which  form  the  harbor.  We  had  scarcely 
gone  a  mile  from  our  anchorage  when  it  became  so  thick  that  we 
could  not  see  to  steer  clear  of  the  dangers,  and  were  obliged  to 
anchor  to  avoid  running  any  risks.  Parting  salutes  had  been  ex- 
changed with  the  sultan's  flag-ship,  but  we  had  to  remain  in  our 
new  anchorage  and  wait,  all  routine  of  duty  being  virtually  the 
same  as  if  we  were  at  sea.  It  rained  nearly  all  day  and  night,  but 
cleared  somewhat  about  dawn  on  the  5th,  when  we  got  under  way 
again  and  steamed  out  through  the  channel.  We  proceeded  on  a 
course  for  Johanna  Island,  and  made  the  passage  without  any 
special  incident.  We  passed  in  sight  of  Comoro  Island  Monday 
evening,  and  early  next  morning,  January  8,  we  sighted  Johanna 
and  stood  in  for  the  anchorage  off  "  Brown's  gardens." 

We  expected  to  be  obliged  to  salute  the  sultan's  flag,  more  es- 
pecially when  we  saw  a  frowning  fortress  on  a  hill  above  the  town. 
But  we  had  scarcely  anchored  when  General  Drahman  Oman 
came  on  board  to  extend  the  usual  offers  of  courtesy  and  welcome, 
and  also  to  inform  us  that  they  had  no  powder  wherewith  to  re- 
turn a  national  salute.  The  "  general"  is  quite  a  character,  an 
Arab  with  considerable  African  blood.  He  spoke  English  very 
well  and  was  eager  to  tell  us  all  he  knew,  and  a  great  deal  more, 
to  express  his  delight  at  our  visit.  The  general  was  especially 
devoted  to  Americans.  He  liked  American  whalers;  and  his 
boat,  in  which  he  had,  he  said,  done  many  gallant  deeds,  had 
come  from  the  last  whaler  which  had  visited  the  port  two  years 
ago.     He  was  very  polite,  and  extended  most  cordial  invitations 


182  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

for  the  officers  to  make  themselves  at  home  at  his  house  wheneyer 
they  might  go  ashore.  The  weather  was  very  unfavorable,  and 
frequent  rain-squalls  deterred  many  from  going,  but  those  who 
did  go  found  a  cordial  and  hospitable  reception  at  his  house.  The 
sui^eons  were  especially  welcome ;  and,  there  being  no  doctors  in 
the  town,  they  had  an  opportunity  of  alleviating  some  suffering, 
for  which  they  went  ashore  prepared.  The  Duke  Abbiss,  a  cousin 
of  the  sultan,  and  many  of  his  relations  will  probably  remember 
the  "  Brooklyn"  for  some  time. 

Dr.  Wilson  paid  his  respects  on  board  the  next  afternoon,  and 
was  anxious  for  a  party  of  officers  to  visit  his  plantation.  The 
distance  was  too  great  for  them  to  make  this  visit  before  sunset 
of  that  day,  and  we  sailed  so  early  the  next  morning  that  there 
was  no  opportunity  to  take  advantage  of  his  hospitality. 

The  general  was  one  of  the  last  to  bid  us  good-by,  but  said  he 
"  must"  come  on  board  the  next  morning,  and  yet  he  didn't.  His 
astonishment  to  hear  that  we  had  left  at  daylight,  before  he  could 
beg  for  any  more  presents,  can  only  be  conjectured. 

The  passage  to  Nossi  B^  was  made  under  steam  alone,  and 
only  occupied  thirty  hours.  The  harbor  is  quite  large,  and  we 
anchored  at  11.40  a.m.  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from  a  jetty 
which  runs  out  to  enclose  a  small  harbor  for  small  vessels.  The 
view  from  the  ship  was  very  pleasing.  The  harbor  is  partially 
enclosed  by  a  rolling  country,  and  being  in  the  possession  of  the 
French,  betokened  somewhat  more  of  modern  civilization  than  the 
other  ports  we  had  just  visited.  The  native  village  of  Anaban- 
orou  is  situated  on  low  land  at  the  head  of  the  bay,  between  the 
high  bluff  hills  of  Loucou-B6  and  Mahatinzo  Point.  The  French 
settlement  is  on  the  left ;  and  its  most  conspicuous  feature  is  the 
residence  of  the  commandant  on  the  crest  of  the  hill  above  the 
jetty,  and  just  in  rear  of  a  small  earthwork  containing  five  small 
brass  howitzers  for  saluting  purposes.  The  French  government 
have  a  stone  structure  for  coal  (Cardiff  bricks),  of  which  they  had 
nine  thousand  tons  neatly  piled  inside  the  building. 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  183 

The  village  itself  is  very  sparsely  settled ;  one  wide  main  road 
leads  up  for  about  a  mile  to  a  reservoir,  which  supplies  the  village 
with  water  by  mains  led  down  this  street.  The  reservoir  is  fed 
by  an  open  aqueduct  from  a  spring  in  the  range  of  hills  back  of 
the  town.  A  stone  cathedral,  schools  for  boys  and  girls,  and  the 
barracks  (a  large  high  building  enclosed  by  a  high  stone  wall) 
form  the  principal  features  of  the  town.  Beyond  this  point  a  few 
native  houses  were  scattered  here  and  there,  and  line  the  roadside 
out  to  the  reservoir.  An  old  stone  fort,  with  re-entering  angles 
and  circular  towers  with  loop-holes  for  sentries,  old  guns  here  and 
there  on  the  partial  ruin,  spoke  eloquently  of  former  struggles 
with  the  Sakalavas,  and  as  we  looked  up  the  two  roads,  which  at 
this  point  diverged  from  the  street,  we  almost  fancied  the  Saka- 
lavas were  coming,  and  involuntarily  turned  to  see  how  well  the 
fort  commanded  the  approaches. 

The  usual  salutes  and  visits  were  duly  exchanged  with  the 
French  authorities,  and  every  courtesy  was  kindly  extended  by 
the  people.  Mr.  R.  W.  Childs,  an  American,  the  agent  of  the 
firm  of  George  Ropes,  of  Boston,  was  among  the  first  to  call,  and 
he  did  all  in  his  power  to  make  our  stay  as  pleasant  as  possible. 
Mr.  Messioner,  the  president  of  the  French  Club,  extended  a  po- 
lite invitation  for  the  officers  to  accept  the  hospitality  of  the  club, 
and  they  were  very  much  indebted  to  him  and  the  club  for  this 
courtesy. 

Besides  the  sugar  plantations,  this  place  is  a  depot  for  the 
American  firms  of  George  Ropes,  of  Boston ;  Ropes  &  Co.,  Ar- 
nold, Hines  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  represented  by  Mr.  Rider;  the 
firm  of  Roux  de  Fraisseuet,  of  Marseilles ;  and  Oswald  &  Co.,  of 
Hamburg,  all  of  whom  export  hides  and  rubber  to  Europe  and 
the  United  States,  and  import  cottons,  kerosene,  and  general  mer- 
chandise in  return.  The  French  war  with  Madagascar  had,  how- 
ever, ruined  trade,  and  there  was  scarcely  any  business  on  this 
account. 


184  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

THE   COMORO   ISLANDS. 

These  comprise  the  four  volcanic  islands  of  Comoro,  Mohilla, 
Johanna,  and  Mayotta,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Mozambique 
Channel,  between  the  east  coast  of  Africa  and  Madagascar.  Comoro, 
or  Angazicha,  the  largest  and  highest  of  the  group,  is  thirty-five 
miles  long  north  and  south,  and  from  ten  to  twelve  miles  broad. 
It  is  inhabited  by  mixed  races, — Arabs,  Africans,  and  Madagas- 
cans, — and  is  governed  by  independent  chiefs  or  sultans,  each  to 
a  district,  who  are  frequently  at  war  with  each  other.  Comoro 
Mountain  is  the  highest  mountain  in  the  world  as  compared  to  the 
size  of  the  island,  reaching  a  height  of  eight  thousand  five  hun- 
dred and  twenty-six  feet,  and  being  visible  in  clear  weather  for  over 
one  hundred  miles.  It  is  volcanic,  as  is  the  whole  island,  and 
traces  of  the  last  eruption  in  1858  are  still  seen  by  the  lack  of 
vegetation  where  the  stream  of  lava  had  flowed.  At  the  southwest 
part  of  the  island  ignited  sulphurous  vapors  issue  from  crevices 
in  the  ground,  and  the  natives  have  a  superstition  that  this  point 
is  inhabited  by  devils,  and  they  will  not  venture  near  at  night. 

Mohilla  is  southwest  of  Comoro,  and  it  is  the  least  elevated  of 
the  group.  It  is  fifteen  miles  long  northwest  and  southeast,  and 
seven  or  eight  miles  broad  in  its  widest  part.  The  natives  are 
friendly  and  number  about  six  thousand,  one-tenth  Arabs,  and  the 
rest  mixed  races.  It  is  governed  by  a  queen,  a  relative  of  the 
reigning  family  of  Madagascar.  The  principal  town  is  Douany, 
which  is  walled  round  and  is  situated  near  the  beach.  The  site 
of  the  town  on  low  land  among  the  cocoanut  palms  has  led  to  its 
being  considered  more  unhealthy  than  Comoro.  The  queen's 
house  and  the  mosque  are  respectable  buildings,  but  nearly  all  the 
houses  are  mere  grass  or  mud  huts. 

The  next  island  to  the  eastward  is  Johanna,  often  called  An- 
jouana  and  Anzuani.  This  is  next  to  Comoro  in  size  and  height, 
but  far  surpasses  all  in  beauty  and  fertility.  It  is  triangular  in 
shape,  with  each  side  about  twenty  miles  long.     The  land  rises 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  185 

abruptly  from  the  sea  in  narrow  ridges  to  peaks  of  diflferent  heights, 
so  that  it  has  been  aptly  described  to  resemble  a  school-boy's  "  com- 
parative view  of  the  mountains  of  the  world."  The  scenery  from 
the  "  Brooklyn's"  anchorage  beggars  description.  The  valleys,  en- 
closed by  evergreen  hills,  seemed  to  invite  us  to  rest  among  the 
luxuriant  foliage.  Here  and  there  small  cascades  of  cool  moun- 
tain streams  offered  refreshment,  and  every  variety  of  tropical  tree, 
shrub,  and  flower  displayed  their  charms  for  our  entranced  admi- 
ration. Makhadou,  or  Johanna  town,  is  an  Arab  city  of  one  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  almost  all  of  whom  are  African  slaves  or  mixed 
races  of  Arabs,  Madagascans,  and  negroes.  The  houses  are  built 
of  stone  for  the  most  part,  with  narrow,  circuitous  streets,  and  the 
city  is  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall  fifteen  feet  high.  This  is  now 
merely  a  ruin.  Vegetation  is  so  luxuriant  that  trees  take  root  in 
among  the  crevices  of  the  stones  in  deserted  walls  and  buildings, 
and  soon  grow  to  such  proportions  that  the  wall  can  no  longer  sus- 
tain them,  when  the  whole  mass  tumbles  to  the  ground. 

The  island  is  governed  by  an  independent  sultan,  who  is  an  ally 
of  the  Sultan  of  Zanzibar.  The  present  sultan  is  blind,  and  at  the 
time  of  our  visit  was  on  his  sugar  plantation  some  distance  out  of 
town.  The  Arabs  are  diminishing  in  number,  and,  though  slavery 
still  exists,  yet  it  is  only  in  the  mildest  form,  and  treaties  have 
been  made  by  which  it  is  agreed  to  abolish  it  altogether  in  August, 
1889. 

This  island  has  been  for  many  years  a  favorite  resort  for  Ameri- 
can whalers,  who  used  to  obtain  water,  beef,  fresh  provisions,  and 
fruit  at  very  reasonable  prices.  The  island  is  chiefly  of  interest 
to  us  as  being  the  residence  of  an  American  plantet.  Dr.  Wilson, 
who  was  a  surgeon  in  our  navy  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion. 
Dr.  Wilson  has  a  large  sugar  plantation  on  the  island,  with  flve 
hundred  acres  of  ground  under  cultivation.  He  produces  from 
four  to  five  hundred  tons  of  sugar,  which  he  sells  at  one  hundred 
and  thirty  dollars  per  ton.  He  employs  five  hundred  laborers,  or 
one  to  an  acre  of  cane.     These  laborers  are  slaves  of  the  Arabs. 


186  TffE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Dr.  Wilson  pays  about  eighteen  dollars  a  year  to  their  owners,  six 
dollars  to  the  slaves  themselves,  and  it  costs  him  about  six  dollars 
a  year  to  feed  and  clothe  them.  The  commissary  department  is 
certainly  economical,  but  when  one  considers  the  abundance  of 
fruit,  the  cheapness  of  rice  (the  principal  article  of  food),  and 
that  two  or  three  yards  of  calico  a  year  suflBces  for  a  laborer's 
entire  wardrobe,  six  dollars  means  six  hundred  cents,  each  one  of 
which  has  ten  mills,  and  is  really  something  to  these  slaves. 

Dr.  Wilson,  on  the  other  hand,  seems  prosperous,  and  has 
doubtless  been  well  paid  for  his  enterprise  and  industry.  Fifty 
per  cent,  of  the  gross  proceeds  would  not  overestimate  the  profit 
derived ;  but  he  has  had  enough  and  wants  to  sell  out  and  return 
home  again.  The  tropical  beauty  of  this  island,  and  the  many 
other  admirable  qualities  this  and  all  these  lands  may  possess,  are 
surely  good ;  but  what  are  they  compared  to  our  country, "  the 
valley  of  graces,"  where  each  and  everything  holds  out  fresh 
charms  ever  more  and  more  attractive  until  no  sacrifice  seems  too 
great  to  return  to  them  ? 

There  are  two  other  sugar  plantations :  that  of  the  sultan,  and 
one  at  Pomony,  owned  by  an  Englishman.  These  three  planta- 
tions produce  about  two  thousand  tons  of  sugar  annually.  Coffee 
is  also  cultivated  to  a  limited  extent,  but  of  a  very  superior  qual- 
ity. The  total  value  of  the  exports  and  imports  amounts  to 
about  four  hundred  thousand  dollars  annually.  There  is  very 
little  commerce  at  present.  One  of  the  steamers  of  the  Sultan 
of  Zanzibar  calb  at  irregular  intervals,  and  the  planters  intend  to 
subsidize  Armange's  line  of  steamers  to  call  there  monthly.  Com- 
munication is*  maintained  by  dhows  and  small  sail-boats  which 
ply  between  the  Comoro  Islands  and  neighboring  coasts. 

Mayotta,  the  easternmost  of  the  group,  is  twenty  miles  long, 
north  and  south,  and  six  or  seven  miles  broad.  Its  inhabitants 
are  of  the  same  races  as  the  others  of  the  group,  but  being  near 
the  coast  of  Madagascar  they  were  often  a  prey  to  Sakalavas.  In 
1839  the  only  town  was  Zaoudzi,  a  natural  fortress  on  the  east 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  187 

side,  governed  by  a  Sakalava  chief,  Dansulu.  The  French  took 
possession  of  the  island  in  1841,  and  established  a  military  and 
naval  colony  on  a  small  scale  at  Zaoudzi.  The  island  is  consid- 
ered very  unhealthy,  but  it  is  prosperous,  and  the  French  colonists 
have  been  very  successful  in  growing  sugar-cane.  Mayotta  sugar- 
planters  complain  of  the  want  of  labor,  and  a  treaty  was  signed 
on  June  23  between  France  and  Portugal,  by  which  Mayotta  and 
Nossi  B6  should  be  supplied  with  negroes  from  Mozambique, 
though  they  have  not  succeeded  in  obtaining  any  immigrants 
as  yet. 

A  VISIT   TO  A  SUGAR  PLANTATION  AT  NOSSI  B^. 

Nossi  B6,  or  Nos  Beh,  is  a  small  island,  fourteen  miles  long  by 
nine  and  a  half  broad,  off  the  northwestern  coast  of  Madagascar. 
It  was  captured  in  March,  1841,  by  Admiral  Hell,  governor  of 
Bourbon,  who  founded  the  French  colony  of  Hellville.  This 
colony  is  a  depot  for  naval  supplies,  and  the  port  is  of  considerable 
commercial  importance  for  the  trade  with  the  natives  on  the 
neighboring  coasts  of  Madagascar  and  adjacent  islands.  The 
principal  industry  is  the  production  of  sugar.  The  soil  is  very 
fertile,  and  there  are  fourteen  thriving  sugar  plantations  on  the 
island. 

Mr.  Charles  Clain  called  on  the  oflScers  of  the  "  Brooklyn" 
during  our  visit  at  that  place  and  extended  a  very  cordial  invita- 
tion for  a  party  to  visit  his  plantation  the  following  day.  This 
plantation  is  about  twenty  minutes'  walk  from  the  jetty,  up  through 
a  small  Sakalava  village,  to  a  valley  beyond  a  range  of  hills  back 
of  the  town.  Mr.  Clain  received  the  party  at  his  house,  beauti- 
fully situated  on  the  crest  of  the  ridge  overlooking  the  plantation, 
and  after  explaining  the  general  details  of  his  enterprise,  con- 
ducted them  over  the  estat-e  to  exhibit  his  mill  and  plantation. 

The  view  from  the  house  disclosed  a  small  valley  of  thirty-five 
acres  of  sugar-cane  recently  planted,  and  the  opposite  hill-side  with 
the  village  of  his  forty-five  negro  laborers,  who  have  been  employed 


188  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

by  contract  for  a  certain  term  of  years.  The  cane  had  been  har- 
vested some  time  before  this  visit,  and  there  was  no  one  at  work, 
but  Mr.  Clain  carefully  explained  every  detail  and  made  the  visit 
exceedingly  interesting.  The  path  down  the  hill  to  the  sugar 
plantation  was  lined  with  coffee-trees,  which  Mr.  Clain  has  ceased 
to  cultivate  for  want  of  labor,  and  more  especially  since  sugar 
is  much  more  profitable. 

The  method  of  planting  consists  in  taking  a  piece  of  the  old 
cane  about  six  inches  long  with  five  joints ;  two  or  more  of  these 
splints  are  placed  horizontally  in  small  holes  in  the  ground,  about 
six  or  seven  inches  below  the  surface.  These  holes  are  rectangu- 
lar, seven  by  four  inches,  and  are  kept  weeded.  The  joints  on 
the  split  produce  shoots,  which  grow  up  so  that  each  hole  con- 
tains from  ten  to  twenty-five  canes.  The  holes  are  placed  at 
regular  intervals,  and  all  the  ground  in  the  vicinity  is  carefully 
weeded,  that  the  cane  may  have  its  full  growth.  The  soil  is  so 
rich  that  fertilizers  are  unnecessary.  The  cane  reaches  perfection 
in  the  course  of  eight  or  nine  months,  and  Mr.  Clain  has  har- 
vested five  crops  in  four  years.  The  uniform  temperature  of  the 
climate  is  such  that  there  are  no  special  months  in  which  to  plant 
or  harvest.  When  the  cane  is  cut  it  is  carried  to  the  mill,  situ- 
ated at  the  base  of  the  hill  occupied  by  the  negro  village. 

The  mill  is  a  stone  building,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  by 
thirty-five  wide,  covered  by  a  corrugated  iron  roof.  The  steam- 
boiler  is  placed  outside  in  an  adjoining  house.  The  building  is  on 
the  hill-side,  and  its  floor  is  on  three  levels.  The  cane  enters  at 
the  upper  side  and  is  crushed  between  iron  rollers,  which  squeeze 
the  sugar  juices  out  into  a  small  tank,  whence  they  are  conducted 
to  two  vats  on  each  side  of  the  next  lower  floor.  Steam  and  sul- 
phuric acid  are  then  introduced  into  the  juice,  by  which  most  of 
the  foreign  ingredients  are  extracted.  The  syrup  then  flows  into 
a  second  series  of  vats,  and  a  copper  boiler,  where  it  is  purified, 
and  then  conducted  to  four  semi-cylindrical  basins,  in  which  a 
series  of  steam-pipes,  arranged  like  four  long  squirrel-cages,  revolve 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  189 

to  heat  and  stir  the  syrup.  This  is  a  substitute  for  the  vacuum- 
pans,  and  is  much  less  expensive.  The  syrup  is  then  led  to  the 
centrifugals,  in  which  the  sugar  is  granulated  and  deposited  upon 
the  sieves,  while  the  molasses  is  allowed  to  flow  into  a  series  of 
tanks,  built  of  masonry  in  the  ground,  thence  to  fermenting  vata, 
and  finally  to  the  still  and  worm,  where  it  is  converted  into  rum. 
The  grade  of  sugar  produced  depends  upon  the  length  of  time  the 
syrup  is  agitated  in  the  centrifugals  and  the  speed  of  revolution. 
The  sugar  is  packed  in  plaited  grass  bags,  each  of  sixty-five  kilo- 
grams (one  hundred  and  forty-three  pounds),  and  shipped  to  Eu- 
rope. The  rum  is  sold  on  the  premises  at  eight  and  one-quarter 
cents  a  litre,  and  the  demand  is  much  greater  than  the  supply. 
The  water-supply  is  excellent,  consisting  of  a  small  aqueduct,  with 
mains  about  five  hundred  yards  long  leading  from  a  small  stream 
up  the  valley.  The  annual  yield  of  sugar  is  about  one  hundred 
tons,  the  greatest  being  one  hundred  and  twenty  for  the  last  years, 
which  from  thirty-five  acres  is  much  greater  than  the  average  of 
one  ton  per  acre  as  obtained  by  slave  labor  at  Johanna.  The 
yield  of  rum  has  averaged  twenty-four  thousand  litres  annually. 

After  having  explained  the  process  Mr.  Clain  led  the  party  to 
another  part  of  the  estate,  where  he  had  a  very  fine  garden  with 
three  hundred  difiFerent  varieties  of  trees  and  shrubs  from  all  parts 
of  the  world,  principally  those  indigenous  to  Australia  and  the 
East  Indies.  In  this  garden  there  were  fourteen  different  kinds  of 
rose-bushes,  many  in  bloom,  and  all  kinds  of  tropical  fruit-trees, 
beside  apple-  and  peach-trees  from  temperate  climes.  He  also  had 
a  grove  of  palms  in  which  there  were  species  of  every  known  va- 
riety. It  is  difficult  to  express  how  much  the  party  enjoyed  this 
visit.  Mr.  Clain  took  a  great  deal  of  pains  to  explain  everything. 
He  spoke  English  fluently,  without  any  perceptible  accent,  and 
his  ingenuity  and  enterprise  betokened  so  much  of  the  admirable 
qualities  of  the  Yankees  that  it  was  hard  to  believe  that  he  was 
not  one  of  our  own  countrymen. 

The  "  Brooklyn's"  stay  at  Nossi  B6  was  uneventful ;  we  had 

18 


190  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

some  opportunities  for  drilling  when  it  did  not  rain,  and  our  rou- 
tine of  duty  was  not  interrupted.  The  band  went  ashore  to  the 
commandant's  the  afternoon  before  we  left,  and  gave  the  people  of 
the  colony  a  short  concert,  which  contributed  to  enhance  the 
favorable  impression  of  the  "  Brooklyn's"  visit.  At  7.55  a.m., 
Saturday,  January  19,  we  got  under  way  and  proceeded  to  the 
port  of  Majunga,  on  the  west  coast  of  Madagascar. 

We  experienced  rainy  weather  with  a  disagreeable  choppy  sea, 
which  delayed  our  arrival  at  Majunga  until  January  21.  The 
shoals  and  reefs  along  the  channel  made  the  navigation  of  this 
coast  exceedingly  difficult,  but  we  were  mostly  annoyed  by  the 
weather.  The  wet  season  had  just  set  in,  and  it  was  decidedly 
moist.  The  rain  poured  in  torrents,  and  it  was  hot  and  uncom- 
fortable. The  French  corvette  "  Forfait"  and  gunboat  "  Capri- 
come"  were  at  anchor  in  the  harbor,  and  the  French  flag  was 
floating  over  a  fort  at  Amoronbato  Point. 

The  town  of  Majunga  was  in  two  separate  parts :  one,  the  Hova 
town,  on  the  crest  of  the  hill,  and  the  other  near  the  beach.  The 
lower  town  extends  a  half-mile  along  the  shore,  and  is  composed 
of  a  number  of  whitewashed  stone  or  brick  houses,  built  by  the 
Banyans  and  Hindis,  who  have  a  monopoly  of  the  trade,  and  the 
grass  huts  of  the  Sakalavas.  The  Hova  town  has  been  completely 
destroyed,  but  it  had  two  thousand  inhabitants  before  the  bom- 
bardment. The  village  was  regularly  laid  out  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  governor's  palace,  which  was  a  stone  building  of 
some  pretensions.  The  Hovas  are  Christians,  and  a  church  and 
schools  were  conspicuous  in  the  town.  The  crest  of  the  hill  is 
covered  with  a  long  line  of  intrenchments  leading  to  the  fort,  and 
evidences  of  civilization  much  superior  to  that  of  the  Sakalavas, 
Makuas,  and  other  mixed  African  races  were  seen  on  every  hand. 
The  place  was  bombarded  on  the  16th  of  May,  1883,  by  a  French 
fleet  of  five  cruisers.  The  fleet  arrived  a  little  before  sunset  on 
the  15th  and  gave  thirty  minutes'  notice  to  haul  down  the  Hova 
flag  from  the  fort,  and  two  and  a  half  hours'  warning  before  they 


THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  191 

said  they  would  commence  the  bombardment,  which  was,  however, 
postponed  until  six  a.m.  the  next  day.  Our  consul,  Mr.  Taylor, 
and  Mr.  Rider  were  invited  to  take  refuge  on  board  the  French 
vessels,  which  they  did  that  night.  The  Hovas  evacuated  the 
place,  but  a  few  stayed  in  the  custom-house  until  about  ten  p.m., 
when  the  flag-ship  turned  on  an  electric  light,  which  created  such 
alarm  that  they  fled  immediately.  The  bombardment  was  unop- 
posed. The  French  fired  at  intervals  of  from  five  to  ten  minutes 
on  each  ship,  and  kept  it  up,  with  two  hours'  intermission  about 
noon,  until  sunset.  They  fired  about  fifteen  hundred  shell  in  all 
and  completely  destroyed  the  town,  though  the  fort,  being  an 
earthwork,  was  not  so  badly  damaged.  The  lower  town  was  but 
little  damaged,  and  the  Sakalavas,  who  are  the  allies  of  the 
French,  took  refuge  in  the  stone  warehouse  of  the  French  agency 
at  Majunga  Point,  where  they  have  since  erected  a  grass  village. 
The  French  had  a  garrison  of  twenty-five  marines  in  this  house 
and  fifty  in  the  fort. 

During  the  "  Brooklyn's"  stay  in  port  salutes  and  visits  were 
exchanged  with  the  French  as  usual.  The  chief  occupation  was, 
however,  to  try  to  keep  dry.  Our  consul  (strictly,  consular  agent) 
was  the  only  foreigner  except  the  French  and  the  Hindi  in  the 
place.  His  flag  floated  over  his  house,  and  he  himself  was  very 
courteous  and  polite  to  the  officers. 

A  number  of  oflScers  paid  their  respects  to  Queen  Ananarino  of 
the  Sakalavas,  at  her  residence  near  the  French  agency.  The  old 
lady  must  have  been  a  beauty,  and  her  features  plainly  indicated 
that  she  belonged  to  a  race  far  superior  to  the  Africans.  Flag 
Lieutenant  Phelps  made  a  neat  diplomatic  speech,  which  was  inter- 
preted by  our  consul  and  pleased  her  immensely.  Her  majesty's 
numerous  staff  crowded  in  the  grass  house,  and  all  were  pleased 
with  the  visit. 

We  got  under  way  on  January  25,  and  steamed  across  the  Mo- 
zambique Channel  to  the  city  of  that  name.  We  then  found  that 
the  northeast  monsoons  blew  from  the  northwest,  and  at  this 


192  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

season  were  accompaDied  by  a  great  deal  of  rain.  We  arrived  off 
the  harbor  about  three  p.m.  January  28,  and  anchored  close  to  the 
fort  at  4.30. 

Mozambique  was  discovered  by  Vasco  da  Gama  in  1498,  and 
this  city  was  founded  in  1508  by  Tristan  d'Acunha.  The  Portu- 
guese colonized  the  province,  and  the  capital  was  of  great  impor- 
tance as  an  emporium  between  India  and  Europe.  Fort  Sebastian 
was  built  in  1508-11 ;  it  is  seventy  feet  high  and  has  eighty  guns, 
and  up  to  the  invention  of  modern  ordnance  was  a  very  formidable 
fortress.  The  stones  were  all  brought  from  Lisbon,  and  the  cement 
used  was  mixed  with  cocoanut  oil.  The  Portuguese  have  ex- 
hausted legislation  for  emigration  from  Portugal  to  this  colony. 
Among  other  projects  there  was  a  law  giving  princely  estates  to 
Portuguese  ladies  who  should  live  in  the  province  and  marry 
Portuguese  colonists,  but  this  failed  to  improve  the  colony,  and  it 
has  been  declining  ever  since.  It  is  now  a  penal  colony,  and  con- 
victs from  Portugal  and  her  colonies  pay  the  severest  penalties  for 
their  crimes.  They  are  employed  in  keeping  the  city  clean  and 
on  other  public  works.  There  are  few  cities  in  the  world  which 
are  kept  so  scrupulously  clean.  The  sailing  directions  incorrectly 
state  that  it  is  very  dirty.  The  "  Brooklyn's"  arrival  was  quite 
an  event,  as  an  American  man-of-war  at  Mozambique  is  almost  as 
rare  as  a  comet.  Salutes  were  exchanged  with  the  fort,  and  the 
commander-in-chief  and  staff  visited  the  governor-general.  The 
latter.  Count  Coelho,  very  promptly  returned  the  visit.  He  came 
off  in  a  state  barge,  and  was  received  by  all  the  officers,  and  upon 
leaving  received  a  salute  of  twenty-one  guns.  Royal  honors  were 
paid  to  him  by  the  fort  and  Portuguese  men-of-war  as  he  passed. 

MOZAMBIQUE. 

Very  little  has  been  written  about  this  country,  although  it  has 
been  in  the  possession  of  the  Portuguese  for  nearly  four  centuries. 
They  discovered  the  country  in  1498,  and  formed  settlements  on 
the  islands  on  the  coast  shortly  afterwards,  but  their  authority  is 


MJUJff-i'. 


"Tl 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  193 

scarcely  recognized  oq  the  mainland  ten  miles  back  from  the 
coast,  except  in  one  or  two  districts.  The  African  explorations 
of  Livingstone,  and  the  more  recent  ones  of  Stanley  and  others, 
have  excited  considerable  interest  in  the  "  Dark  Continent,"  no 
part  of  which  is  less  known  than  that  claimed  by  Portugal  as  be- 
longing to  the  province  of  Mozambique.  The  colonial  secretary, 
Mr.  J.  Almeida  da  Cunha,  the  British  consul  at  Mozambique, 
Mr.  H.  E.  O'Neill,  and  Captain  A.  de  Castilho,  of  the  Portuguese 
navy,  kindly  furnished  the  data  from  which  the  following  article 
•was  compiled : 

The  province  of  Mozambique  is  on  the  east  coast  of  Africa, 
and  extends  from  Cape  Delgado  in  latitude  10.41°  south  to  Delagoa 
Bay,  in  latitude  26°  south.  Its  western  boundary  in  the  interior 
is  indefinite.  The  government  of  the  colony  is  administered  by 
a  governor-general  and  secretary  at  Mozambique,  appointed  by 
the  crown,  with  a  Junta  composed  of  a  president,  treasurer,  and 
twelve  members,  and  two  representatives  in  the  Lisbon  Cortes. 
There  are  seven  sub-districts,  each  with  separate  governor  and 
secretary,  viz. :  Quelimane,  Tete,  Lourenzo  Marques,  Cape  Del- 
gado,  Sofala,  Angoche,  and  Inhambane.  The  population  is  abso- 
lutely unknown ;  the  colonial  secretary  estimates  that  of  the  city 
of  Mozambique  at  twelve  thousand,  consisting  of  five  hundred 
Portuguese,  four  hundred  soldiers,  eleven  hundred  Europeans  and 
Banyans  from  India,  and  ten  thousand  negroes.  The  negroes  will 
not  allow  a  census  to  be  taken,  and  when  attempted  several  years 
ago  at  Ibo,  it  produced  a  riot  among  the  inhabitants,  who  were 
afraid  that  they  were  being  numbered  in  order  to  be  enrolled  in 
the  army.  The  colonial  secretary  estimates  the  total  population 
of  the  colony  at  two  million  seven  hundred  and  thirteen  thousand. 
The  total  revenue  of  the  colony,  derived  from  taxes  and  duties, 
was  four  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  five  hundred  and  three 
dollars  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1883,  while  the  ex- 
penses of  the  administration  for  the  same  period  were  five  hun- 
dred and  ninety-five  thousand  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  dollars. 


194  THE  CRUISE  OF  7 HE  BROOKLYN. 

The  colony  is  therefore  a  burden  to  Portugal ;  but  improvement 
is  possible,  because  the  neighboring  colonies  of  Zanzibar  on  the 
north,  and  Natal  south,  with  nearly  the  same  conditions  of  soil 
and  climate,  give  much  larger  returns :  those  of  Zanzibar  being 
three  times,  and  those  of  Natal  ten  times,  greater  than  those  of 
Mozambique. 

The  Portuguese  have  not  settled  the  country,  because,  1.  Its  un- 
popularity as  the  "  white  man's  grave."  2,  Competition  in  emi- 
gration with  Brazil,  the  latter  country  being  much  more  attractive 
for  the  Portuguese  than  this.  3.  It  being  a  penal  colony,  where 
convicts  were  known  to  be  at  large,  deterred  honest  emigration. 
4.  The  search  for  gold  to  the  exclusion  of  agriculture  and  settled 
industry,  and,  in  later  years,  the  slave-trade,  have  blighted  all 
legitimate  trade  until  now.  The  first  three  causes  still  operate  to 
a  certain  extent,  but  the  second  and  third  need  not  do  so  any 
longer,  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  first,  the  unhealthiness 
of  the  country,  is  greatly  exaggerated,  and  can  be  improved  if 
proper  measures  are  taken.  The  Portuguese  have  not  pursued 
the  wisest  course  in  colonizing  the  country.  They  have  occupied 
outlying  islands  instead  of  the  mainland,  and  have  confined 
themselves  to  these  military  posts. 

Mr.  O'Neill,  the  British  consul,  has  done  the  world  a  great  ser- 
vice in  bringing  to  light  some  of  the  wonderful  resources  of  this 
country.  He  has  made  four  different  journeys  of  exploration  into 
the  interior,  besides  several  others  along  the  coast.  He  returned 
from  his  last  journey  after  an  absence  of  eight  months  on  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1884.  In  this  voyage  he  traversed  fourteen  hundred 
miles  of  unknown  country,  opened  two  new  routes  from  Mozam- 
bique to  Lake  Nyassa,  discovered  the  source  of  the  Lujende  River 
to  be  in  Lake  Amarambe,  and  found  the  valley  of  the  Likugu 
River  to  be  thickly  populated  by  a  hitherto  unknown  tribe  of  the 
Lomwe  race  of  negroes.  Mr.  O'Neill  visited  Fernando  Veloso 
Bay,  only  thirty-five  miles  north  of  Mozambique,  in  1881,  and 
explored  what  has  been  known  as  the  Fernando  Veloso  River. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  196 

He  found  that  this  is  not  a  river,  but  a  land-locked  arm  of  the 
sea,  and  is  known  by  the  natives  as  Makala  Bay.  As  seen  from 
the  promontory,  which,  shooting  out  due  west,  narrows  the  en- 
trance to  half  a  mile,  the  bay  extends  nine  miles  due  south  with 
a  mean  breadth  of  two  miles.  The  western  side  is  indented  by 
several  bays,  which,  in  those  places,  increase  the  width  across  to 
four  miles.  The  eastern  shore  rises  from  one  hundred  to  two 
hundred  feet  high,  and  forms  a  peninsula  about  seven  miles  wide 
to  shelter  the  bay  from  the  sea,  with  the  bold  promontories  almost 
cut  out  for  settlement.  The  bay  has  an  average  and  uniform 
depth  of  about  eight  fathoms,  the  surface  is  always  smooth,  there 
are  no  strong  currents  nor  tortuous  channels,  and  it  is  only  sub- 
jected to  the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  regular  tides.  Land  and  sea 
breezes  render  its  tropical  climate  healthy ;  and  it  is  a  wonder 
that  such  a  spot  so  very  favorable  for  colonization  should  remain 
neglected.  The  neighboring  country  is  full  of  many  species  of 
rubber-trees,  and  forests  of  the  macroos  timber,  so  celebrated  for 
its  durability  and  imperviousness  to  the  ravages  of  the  white  ant. 
Wild  coffee  grows  in  profusion,  and  the  agricultural  advantages  of 
the  country  are  immense.  Mr.  O'Neill's  report  on  Makala  Bay 
created  great  excitement  in  Lisbon,  and  Captain  Castilho  surveyed 
the  bay  and  endorsed  all  reported  by  Mr.  O'Neill.  A  colonization 
and  trading  company  has  been  formed,  which  is  to  establish  a 
settlement  on  this  peninsula,  which  may  eventually  become  the 
metropolis  of  East  Africa. 

Lourenzo  Marques  is  the  most  prosperous  district.  A  railroad 
was  being  constructed  to  Pretoria  in  the  Transvaal  Republic,  and 
it  will  bring  the  produce  of  the  Boers  to  the  sea.  Sugar  planta- 
tions have  been  partially  successful,  and  cotton  grows  wild  in  some 
places,  and  in  others  is  cultivated  by  the  negroes,  who  use  it  for 
their  own  small  purposes.  Opium  is  cultivated  in  the  Zambesi 
district,  and  coal  is  found  in  Tete.  Tobacco  is  also  grown  by  the 
natives,  but  though  addicted  to  its  use  they  do  not  know  how  to 
cure  it.     It  is  a  regular  article  of  sale  and  barter  among  them. 


196  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

The  only  successful  industries  are  the  cultivation  of  tlie  oil  seeds 
amendoin  and  gergelim,  which,  with  India-rubber,  calumba-root, 
and  orchilla-weed,  form  five-sixths  of  the  exports.  Ivory  is  scarce. 
Commerce  with  the  United  States  is  desirable;  they  need  our 
breadstuffs,  kerosene  oil,  and  manufactures  in  exchange  for  rubber 
and  other  produce.  There  is  no  American  consul  at  Mozambique, 
and  Americans  are  ignorant  of  its  commercial  advantages. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

Madagascar — The  Peculiarities  of  its  Animal  and  Vegetable  Life — The  Re- 
markable Inhabitants — The  History  as  furnished  by  Missionary  Writers — 
Private  Settlements — The  Ascendency  of  the  Hovas — Conversion  to  Chris- 
tianity— Reaction  in  Favor  of  Idolatry  in  the  Reign  of  Bloody  Ranavalona — 
Christianity  of  the  Present  Queen — Peculiar  Customs  of  the  Malagasy — 
Succession  to  the  Throne  confined  to  Female  Members  of  the  Royal  Family 
— Status  of  the  Prime  Minister — Hova  Houses — Sakalava  Grass  Huts — 
Mode  of  Reckoning  Time^Native  Dress — Cultivation  of  Rice — Peculiar 
Implements  used — Malagasy  Names — Government  Employment  without 
Pay — The  Blood  Covenant — Sakalava  Medicine-Men — Hova  Marriage  Cere- 
mony— Hova  Tombs — Description  of  Antananarivo^The  War  with  France. 

MADAGASCAR.* 

Madagascar  is  the  largest  and  most  important  of  the  African 
islands.  It  is  separated  from  Africa  by  the  Mozambique  Channel, 
which  is  two  hundred  and  fifly  miles  broad  in  its  narrowest  part. 
The  island  is  one  thousand  and  thirty  miles  long  from  Cape  Amber 
to  Cape  St.  Mary,  and  averages  about  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  miles  in  width.  Its  total  area  is  estimated  at  two  hundred 
and  thirty  thousand  square  miles.     The  surface  rbes  at  short  dis- 

*  Compiled  from  James  Sibree's  "  Madagascar  and  its  People,"  copies  of 
The  Madagatcar  Timet,  published  at  Antananarivo,  La  Cloche,  at  Tamatave, 
and  personal  observations. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  197 

tanoes  from  the  shore,  with  a  range  of  hills  to  a  lofty  backbone  of 
mountains,  which  stretch  nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  island, 
approaching  the  sea  in  bold  cliffs  at  the  southern  extremity.  The 
island  lies  almost  entirely  within  the  tropics,  extending  from  the 
twelfth  to  nearly  the  twenty-sixth  degree  of  south  latitude.  The 
plains  on  the  coast  have  a  tropical  climate  and  vegetation ;  but  the 
elevated  plateau  in  the  interior  four  or  five  thousand  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  the  insular  position  give  a  temperate  climate  to  a 
greater  portion  of  the  country ;  from  June  to  August,  in  the  in- 
terior, the  thermometer  frequently  falls  below  the  freezing-point 
at  night,  and  the  nights  are  always  cool,  even  in  midsummer. 
There  are  two  seasons,  the  rainy  season  from  November  to  April, 
and  the  cold  and  dry  season  the  rest  of  the  year.  The  rain  is  not 
continuous  during  the  rainy  season.  The  mornings  and  forenoons 
are  generally  fine,  the  rain  coming  in  the  afternoon  with  violent 
squalls  and  thunder-storms,  often  lasting  during  the  entire  night. 
These  squalls  are  frequently  accompanied  with  water-spouts,  and 
the  rain  pours  down  with  great  violence.  Hail-storms  are  frequent 
and  often  cause  great  damage.  The  coast  region  is  generally  un- 
healthy in  the  rainy  season  ;  rank  vegetation  and  stagnant  water 
produce  a  deadly  fever.  Some  of  the  elevated  regions  are  also 
considered  unhealthy,  but  these  are  exceptions. 

But  little  is  known  of  the  geology  of  the  island.  Granite, 
quartz,  basalt,  and  large  beds  of  clay  are  found  on  the  east  coast 
and  interior.  Iron  and  copper  also  abound.  Rock-salt  is  an 
article  of  inland  trade,  and  coal  is  said  to  exist  in  one  portion,  also 
limestone  and  slate.  The  soil  of  the  valleys  and  coast  is  fertile, 
and  would  support  many  times  the  present  population,  estimated 
at  about  five  million.  The  traveller's  palm  is  one  of  its  peculiar 
trees,  so  called  because  whenever  an  incision  is  made  a  stream  of 
delicious,  sweet  cold  water  flows  from  the  opening.  The  wood  is 
used  for  building  houses  and  domestic  purposes.  Ebony  and 
mahogany  are  found  in  the  forests.  Mulberry-trees  with  silk- 
worms, tamarind,  fig-trees,  bamboo,  and  gum-copal  trees  are  also 


198  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

oommon.  The  azaina  b  used  for  canoes,  which  are  made  by 
BcoopiDg  out  the  trunk.  Several  species  of  rubber-trees  are 
found.  India-rubber  is  one  of  the  principal  exports  to  the 
United  States. 

Rice,  tobacco,  sugar,  cotton,  indigo,  various  spices,  cocoanuts, 
breadfruit,  plantains,  bananas,  yams,  pineapples,  peaches,  melons, 
pomegranates,  citron,  limes,  grapes,  guavas,  oranges,  mangoes,  and 
a  large  variety  of  tropical  and  temperate  fruits  are  produced  all  the 
year  round.  Coffee  has  been  introduced  and  thrives  well.  Beauti- 
ful orchids,  the  lace-plant,  and  pitcher-plant  are  found,  with  a  host 
of  other  varieties  of  vegetable  life. 

Poultry  of  all  kinds  is  abundant.  Wild  and  tame  cattle  are 
numerous ;  they  have  immense  horns  and  prominent  humps,  as  in 
India.  The  sheep  are  hairy  and  have  fat  tails  like  those  at  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Horses  have  been  introduced.  In  the 
forests  there  are  wild  hogs,  dogs,  cats,  small  leopards,  foxes,  and 
squirrels.  There  are  no  true  monkeys  or  apes.  The  four-handed 
mammalia  is  represented  by  the  lemur.  There  were  several  of 
these  on  board  ship.  They  are  very  pretty  creatures,  and  have 
not  the  grotesque,  half-human  appearance  of  monkeys.  The 
head,  with  its  muzzle,  is  like  that  of  a  dog,  and  they  have  a  long 
bushy  tail,  which  is  coiled  round  the  back  or  neck  when  the 
animal  is  at  rest.  One  species  has  alternate  black  and  white  rings 
on  its  tail;  another  variety  has  a  curious  development  of  long 
white  hair  around  the  head  like  a  ruffled  night-cap.  The  lemurs 
are  gentle  and  affectionate,  and  are  of\en  kept  as  pets,  though 
they  are  very  unintelligent.  The  aye-aye  is  another  four-handed 
animal  peculiar  to  Madagascar.  It  is  somewhat  like  the  monkey, 
and  appears  to  be  a  connecting  link  between  them  and  the  roden- 
tia,  or  gnawing  animals.  It  exemplifies  an  interesting  provision  of 
nature,  in  that  as  its  food  consists  of  a  wood-boring  larva  which 
tunnels  certain  trees,  it  has  powerful  chisel-shaped  teeth  to  cut 
away  the  outer  bark,  and  a  lengthened  finger  on  its  hands,  which 
is  diminished  in  thickness,  with  a  hook-claw  to  use  as  a  probe  to 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  199 

pull  the  grub  from  the  end  of  its  hole.  The  eyes  are  large  to  see 
by  night,  the  ears  expanded  to  hear  the  grub  at  work  in  the  tree, 
and  the  thumbs  on  its  feet  are  large  so  that  it  can  hold  on  while 
using  its  teeth.  Crocodiles  are  very  numerous,  and  in  some  parts 
are  a  great  pest.  They  destroy  numbers  of  sheep  and  cattle,  and 
even  human  beings  who  incautiously  go  into  the  water.  The 
Malagasy  have  a  superstition  which  prevents  them  from  killing 
them.  Some  French  travellers  once  shot  a  crocodile  in  one  of  the 
series  of  lakes  along  the  east  coast  near  Tamatave,  and  excited 
such  consternation  among  the  people  that  they  had  to  leave  the 
neighborhood.  Dogs  have  a  sagacious  way  of  deceiving  these 
reptiles ;  they  say  a  dog  will  stand  on  the  banks  of  a  river  for 
some  time,  and  bark  furiously  to  attract  the  crocodiles,  and  then 
run  off  as  fast  as  possible  to  swim  across  at  some  distance  up- 
stream. There  is  a  peculiarly  marked  species  of  turtle,  called  the 
"  geometric  tortoise,"  and  a  great  variety  of  crab,  shell-fish,  and 
oysters.  Fossil  remains  of  an  immense  bird  called  "  rukh"  and 
its  egg  have  been  found,  the  latter  six  times  as  large  as  the  ostrich- 
egg.  The  birds  are  very  odd, — the  falcon,  royal  bird  of  the 
Hovas,  called  ''  voromahery,"  hawk,  owl,  blue  pigeon,  bronze 
goose,  many  species  of  teal,  heron,  kingfisher,  duck,  sea-gull,  wild 
guinea-fowl,  and  chaffinch.  There  are  many  varieties  of  queer 
insects  and  beautiful  butterflies. 

The  Hovas  eat  caterpillars,  but  they  deserve  credit  for  making 
use  of  their  threads.  In  parts  of  the  country  the  caterpillars 
cover  themselves  with  silky  envelopes  for  protection  against  cold 
and  rain,  and  some  have  cocoons  in  many  folds.  The  country 
seems  specially  adapted  for  silk-culture.  Mulberry-trees  and  the 
Chinese  silkworm  have  been  introduced,  but  the  silk  which  is 
destined  to  be  most  abundant  comes  from  the  cocoon  of  a  cater- 
pillar which  feeds  on  a  plant  called  "  ambarivatry"  in  Malagasy. 
The  Hovas  boil  the  cocoons,  then  card  and  twine.  The  silk  is  a 
clear  gray,  thick,  and  without  brilliancy.  It  is  very  strong  and 
durable,  and  it  is  said  that  some  has  been  taken  from  graves, 


200  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

where  it  had  covered  the  dead  for  centuries  and  had  lost  Done  of 
its  firmness.  Venomous  spiders,  centipedes,  and  scorpions  abound 
of  peculiar  character.  In  fact,  the  natural  history  of  the  island 
is  very  interesting  and  only  partially  known  ;  many  new  strange 
species  of  animal  and  vegetable  life  have  been  found,  and  there 
are  probably  others  in  unexplored  districts. 

The  origin  of  the  inhabitants  is  still  uncertain,  but  it  is  gen- 
erally believed  that  they  belong  to  the  Malayo- Polynesian  race. 
Their  physical  appearance,  habits,  handicrafts,  and  language  seem 
to  establish  this,  while  the  southeast  trades  made  the  island  quite 
as  accessible  as  from  the  nearer  coasts  of  Africa.  There  seem  to 
have  been  two  or  three  waves  of  immigration  at  different  periods, 
and  traditions  exist  of  an  earlier  race  than  any  now  living, 
known  as  the  Yazimba.  The  present  inhabitants  are  divided 
into  four  chief  divisions, — Hovas,  about  900,000 ;  Sakalavas, 
1,500,000;  Betsileos,  1,600,000;  and  Betsimisarakas,  1,200,000. 
The  Malagasy  have  gracefiil  figures,  and  vary  in  color  from  all 
shades  of  fairness  through  brown  and  chocolate  color  to  almost 
black  in  some  cases.  The  hair  of  the  lighter  races  is  long,  black, 
and  shiny,  and  that  of  the  darker  people  generally  more  frizzly 
and  bushy.  It  is  often  arranged  in  regular  rows  of  large  fancy 
knots.  The  Hovas  inhabit  the  central  province  of  Imerina,  and 
are  the  most  advanced  of  all  the  different  races.  They  are  the 
lightest  in  color,  some  nearly  white,  but  a  little  below  the  average 
height.  The  Betsileos  are  in  the  southern  central  districts,  and 
the  Betsimisarakas  on  the  east  coast.  They  arc  not  much  darker 
than  the  Hovas,  but  are  much  less  intelligent  and  energetic  than 
the  latter.  The  Sakalavas  have  the  finest  physical  development, 
and  their  quick,  lively  dispositions  indicate  mental  ability,  but  the 
Hovas  have  handsomer  features  and  more  acute  and  subtle  intel- 
lects. The  Sakalavas  live  on  the  west  coast,  and,  being  nearest  to 
Africa,  many  of  them  are  tainted  with  African  blood.  Their 
superiority  over  negroes  is,  however,  very  decided,  and  in  Nossi  B6, 
where  Makuas  have  been  brought  from  Mozambique,  the  Saka- 


SAKALAVA   WARRIOR   AND   BOATMAN. 
(From  u  phutograpb  by  Lieot.  J.  J.  Hunkbr.) 


t>mg«  tOU. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  201 

lavas  keep  apart  in  separate  villages  and  look  down  upon  the 
inferior  race. 

The  Hovas  are  the  dominant  race,  and  the  government  is  an 
unlimited  monarchy  approaching  despotism.  The  ascendency  of 
the  Hovas  is  of  modern  times.  The  inhabitants  used  to  be 
divided  into  diflFerent  independent  tribes,  with  chiefs  selected  for 
ability  and  personal  prowess.  There  was  a  certain  amount  of 
freedom  in  these  tribes,  and  that  feature  is  still  preserved  in  the 
"kabarys,"  or  national  assemblies.  A  certain  amount  of  free 
speech  is  allowed,  but  to  avail  must  be  strongly  backed  by  public 
opinion  if  it  reflects  upon  the  government.  The  nation  is  begin- 
ning to  assert  itself,  and,  like  European  nations,  has  just  passed 
through  what  might  be  called  its  feudal  age. 

The  Malagasy  have  no  tradition  of  their  earlier  history,  except 
a  few  vague  accounts  of  the  race  of  Vazimba.  The  existence  of 
the  island  was  first  made  known  to  Europeans  in  the  thirteenth 
century  by  Marco  Polo,  who  did  not  visit  it,  but  learned  of  its  size 
and  position  in  Asia.  It  was  discovered  •  in  1506  by  Lorenzo 
Almeida,  son  of  the  first  Portuguese  viceroy  of  India.  Not  long 
afterwards  the  Portuguese  made  a  settlement  in  Anosy,  the  south- 
eastern province,  but  they  were  massacred  by  the  natives.  In 
1642  the  French  made  an  attempt  to  take  possession  of  Mada- 
gascar and  settlement  in  Anosy.  Several  expeditions  were  sent 
there,  and  for  some  years  the  French  had  considerable  influence 
in  the  southern  provinces,  and  claimed  sovereignty  over  the  whole 
island ;  but  the  climate  and  wars  with  the  natives  compelled  them 
to  abandon  it.  In  1644  the  English  had  a  fort  at  St.  Augustine's 
Bay,  with  a  garrison  of  two  hundred  men,  of  whom  one-fourth 
died  of  fever  in  two  years  and  the  settlement  was  broken  up. 
Madagascar  was  then  unmolested  till  the  close  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  when  it  became  a  favorite  resort  of  pirates,  who,  in  time, 
under  the  lead  of  a  Frenchman  named  Misson,  formed  a  settle- 
ment and  commonwealth,  which  they  called  Libertalia,  on  the 
northeast  coast.     After  committing  great  depredations  these  buc- 


202  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

caneers  were  suppressed  by  powerful  uaval  forces  sent  against 
them  by  several  European  governments.  About  1745  the  French 
East  India  Company  took  possession  of  the  island  of  St.  Mary's 
on  the  east  coast,  and  made  a  settlement  there,  and  in  1768  they 
established  another  colony  at  Fort  Dauphin,  at  the  southeast 
extremity  of  Madagascar.  In  1774  the  celebrated  Hungarian 
adventurer.  Count  Beniowsky,  attempted  to  conquer  Madagascar, 
and  met  with  considerable  success,  but  his  plans  were  frustrated 
by  his  violent  death  in  1786. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  present  century  Madagascar  was 
divided  into  a  number  of  independent  states,  the  most  powerful 
of  which  was  Imerina,  the  country  of  the  Hovas.  In  1808, 
Radama  I.  became  king  of  Imerina  on  the  death  of  his  father, 
Impoima.  This  ambitious  king  was  visited  in  1816  by  British 
agents,  and  in  1817  he  negotiated  a  treaty  with  England  by 
which  be  consented  to  suppress  the  exportation  of  slaves,  on  con- 
dition that  England  would  indemnify  him  for  the  consequent  loss 
of  revenue  by  the  annual  payment  of  money,  arms,  and  munitions 
of  war  to  an  amount  of  about  ten  thousand  dollars.  Some  British 
oflBcers  were  sent  from  Mauritius  to  drill  his  troops,  and  with  the 
arms  and  discipline  thus  obtained,  Kadama  I.  was  enabled  to  sub- 
due the  whole  island.  In  1818  the  London  Missionary  Society 
sent  a  number  of  missionaries  and  artisans  to  teach  the  people. 
The  native  language  was  reduced  to  writing,  a  grammar  prepared, 
and  the  Bible  translated  and  printed.  In  the  course  of  ten  years 
about  fifteen  thousand  of  the  natives  had  learned  to  read,  and  a 
great  many  were  converted  to  Christianity.  Mr.  Hastie,  an  Irish- 
man, resided  several  years  at  the  capital  as  the  British  agent. 
His  counsels  tended  to  promote  civilization,  and  had  much  weight 
with  Radama  I.,  who  was  humane  and  gentle  in  character.  The 
king  encouraged  the  missionaries ;  infanticide  and  other  cruel 
customs  were  abolished,  and  rapid  progress  was  made  in  the  use- 
ful arts  and  in  education.  The  premature  death  of  Radama  I. 
in  1828  put  a  stop  to  the  advance  of  Madagascar.     He  was  sue- 


THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  203 

ceeded  by  his  widow,  Ranavalona  I.,  who  exerted  herself  to  undo 
his  work.  The  schools  were  closed,  and  the  missionaries  driven 
from  the  island  in  1835.  The  influence  of  the  idol-keepers,  and 
of  the  supporters  of  divination  and  other  superstitions,  was  re- 
stored to  its  former  supremacy.  The  profession  of  Christianity 
by  any  of  the  natives  was  prohibited,  and  a  violent  persecution  of 
the  native  Christians  was  commenced,  in  which  many  suffered 
martyrdom  with  heroic  fortitude. 

The  French  were  expelled  from  their  settlements  on  the  east 
coast  in  1825  by  Radama  I.,  and  again  in  1831  by  the  queen's 
troops.  In  1845  the  English  and  French  cruisers  undertook  to 
humble  the  Hovas,  and,  after  fruitless  conferences  and  attempts 
at  negotiations,  bombarded  and  burned  Tamatavc,  and  landed  to 
attack  the  fort,  but  were  repulsed  with  considerable  loss.  From 
this  period  all  amicable  intercourse  between  the  French  and  Eng- 
lish and  the  Madagascans  ceased  for  eight  years,  till,  in  1853, 
commercial  relations  were  renewed  by  the  payment  of  an  indemnity 
to  the  queen  of  the  island.  In  1846  the  queen's  son,  then  seven- 
teen years  of  age,  embraced  Christianity,  and  through  his  influ- 
ence Christian  doctrines  were  more  widely  spread  than  ever ;  but 
in  1849  a  fresh  persecution  broke  out,  and  several  thousand  per- 
sons were  arrested  and  punished  for  their  faith,  some  with  death. 
In  1857  a  conspiracy,  organized  by  French  emissaries,  for  the  over- 
throw of  the  queen's  government,  led  to  another  persecution  of  the 
Christians,  in  which  two  hundred  persons  were  put  to  death.  In 
1861  Ranavalona  I.  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  her  son  Ra- 
dama II.,  who  proclaimed  liberty  to  all  religions,  released  the 
Christian  captives,  and  forbade  sorcery  and  the  poison  ordeal. 
The  English  missionaries  returned,  and  Christianity  made  great 
progress.  In  May,  1863,  he  was  murdered,  and  his  widow,  Raso- 
herina,  made  sovereign.  She  was  a  heathen  and  a  patron  of  the 
idols,  but  preserved  liberty  of  worship.  In  1867  a  large  memorial 
church  in  memory  of  the  Christian  martyrs  was  erected  at  Ihe 
capital,  Antananarivo.     The  queen  died  in  April,  1868,  and  was 


204  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

succeeded  by  her  sister,  Ranavalona  II.,  who  publicly  professed 
Christianity.  Printing-presses  have  been  established  at  the  capital 
and  Taniatave,  churches  and  schools  have  multiplied,  many  old 
superstitions  have  been  expunged,  and  rapid  advances  have  been 
made  in  the  useful  arts  and  sciences.  The  Church  of  England 
has  a  missionary  bishop  at  the  head  of  the  church.  The  Luther- 
ans, Roman  Catholics,  Methodists,  Congregationalists,  and  Friends 
also  have  missions  on  the  island,  and  now  fully  one-fourth  the 
population  profess  Christianity. 

In  1867  and  1868  commercial  treaties  were  made  with  Mada- 
gascar by  the  United  States,  England,  and  France,  in  which  all 
recognized  the  sovereignty  of  the  Queen  of  Madagascar  over  the 
whole  island.  There  has  been  and  still  is  a  strong  party  of  con- 
servatives in  the  kingdom  who  are  opposed  to  the  "vazahas" 
(white  foreigners) ;  these  are  they  who  cling  to  the  old  super- 
stitions, and  in  the  recent  treaty,  ratified  by  the  Malagasy  embassy 
at  Washington  in  March,  1883,  Americans  were  granted  the  right 
to  visit  all  parts  of  the  kingdom,  excepting  three  designated 
places,  which  clause  was  put  in  the  treaty  as  a  rigid  concession  to 
these  conservatives.  There  are  no  restrictions  upon  commerce, 
except  the  payment  of  duties  not  to  exceed  ten  per  cent.  Cows 
and  timber  may  not  be  exported,  nor  ammunition  or  war  material 
imported  without  the  consent  of  the  queen. 

On  July  13,  1882,  the  queen  died,  and  she  was  succeeded 
by  Ranavalona  III.,  a  great-granddaughter  of  the  aunt  of  Radama 
I.  and  the  widow  of  a  nephew  of  the  late  queen.  Her  title  is 
"  Ravanalomanjaka  III.,  Mpanjaka  ny  Madagaskara,"  which  words 
are  sewed  on  a  white  flag  in  red  letters,  to  form  the  national  en- 
sign. The  coronation  of  the  present  queen  took  place  at  Antana- 
narivo on  22d  of  November,  1882,  which  date  was  the  queen's 
twenty-second  birthday.  The  Madagascar  oflScial  gazette  of  De- 
cember 1  describes  this  coronation  ceremony,  and  also  gives  the 
prdclamation  of  the  queen  and  prime  minister,  in  which  they  express 
their  determination  never  to  accedje  to  the  demands  of  the  French. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  205 

Madagascar  is  thus  gradually  emerging  from  her  childhood  in 
the  family  of  nations,  and  will  soon  take  her  place  with  the  rest 
in  the  onward  march  of  human  development  towards  the  goal  of  the 
Divine  intelligence ;  to  our  Father,  in  whose  Image  we  were  cre- 
ated, and  in  whose  likeness  all  will  be  perfected.  It  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  this  growth  should  be  impeded  by  any  misunderstand- 
ing with  an  older  and  wiser  nation,  and  more  especially  with  the 
French  republic,  with  whom  the  United  States  is  also  closely 
bound  by  the  most  cordial  ties  of  friendship.  We  hope  peace  may 
be  speedily  re-established  to  the  mutual  satisfaction  of  both  parties. 
The  French  ultimatum  presented  June,  1882,  makes  the  following 
claims:  1,  a  French  protectorate  over  the  northwest  coast  of  Mad- 
agascar ;  2,  the  payment  of  an  indemnity  of  one  million  five  hun- 
dred thousand  francs ;  3,  a  modification  for  the  benefit  of  French 
settlers,  of  the  Madagascar  laws  relating  to  the  tenure  of  landed 
property.  The  Madagascar  government  rejected  this,  upon  which 
the  French  fleet  bombarded  and  captured  the  port  of  Tamatave 
on  June  9,  1883,  and  held  it  in  a  state  of  siege  when  we  were 
there. 

This  closes  the  history  up  to  the  present  time,  and  an  idea  of 
the  civilization  of  the  Hovas  may  be  formed  from  the  following 
incident  of  the  French  war :  When  the  first  intimation  of  hostili- 
ties reached  the  capital  on  May  24,  eight  days  after  the  bombard- 
ment of  Mojanga,  the  officers  at  the  palace  requested  the  queen 
to  order  all  French  subjects  in  the  capital  to  leave  at  once.  The 
queen  said,  "No,  the  French  say  we  are  only  barbarians,  and  if 
we  do  as  you  suggest  that  will  prove  that  we  are.  But  we  are  not 
barbarians.  We  are  Christians,  and  must  remember,  even  at  this 
trying  time,  that  we  are  so,  and  act  as  becomes  Christians.  They 
gave  our  friends  at  Mojanga  one  hour.  We  will  give  their  friends 
five  days,  and  not  a  hair  of  their  heads,  remember,  is  to  be  harmed. 
If  they  cannot  get  filanj ana-bearers  to  take  them  to  the  coast,  I 
will  provide  them  with  bearers  and  safe  conduct  to  Tamatave." 

A  filanjana  is  a  Madagascar  palanquin.     There  are  no  vehicles 

14 


206  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

or  roads  in  the  country,  and  the  traveller  is  carried  in  a  filanjana 
by  four  bearers.  This  is  an  iron-framed  seat  covered  with  leather 
and  stuifed,  and  hung  from  the  centre  of  a  couple  of  light  poles 
of  tough  wood  about  eight  feet  long.  For  women  a  basket  of  rofia 
palm  is  substituted. 

MALAGASY  CUSTOMS   AND   INDUSTRIES. 

The  military  success  of  Radama  I.  increased  military  influence 
over  all  others.  Public  offices  have  been  given  to  army  officers  in 
preference,  and  the  exaltation  of  the  military  over  civilians  still 
continues.  The  troops  are  more  like  a  militia  than  a  regular 
army.  They  receive  no  pay,  and  nearly  two-thirds  of  the  whole 
native  male  population  are  enrolled.  The  grades  of  military  ranks, 
and  also  those  of  all  other  officials,  are  reckoned  by  numbers,  com- 
mencing with  one  honor  for  a  private  soldier,  two  for  a  corporal, 
three  for  a  sergeant,  and  so  on  up  to  thirteen  for  a  field-marshal. 
Individual  officers  are  mentioned  as  a  tenth-honor  man  or  fourth- 
honor  man  as  may  be.  Additional  honors  have  been  conferred 
since  for  special  services,  the  sixteenth  honor  being  the  highest. 

The  succession  to  the  throne  is  confined  to  the  female  members 
of  the  royal  family,  but  the  sovereign  is  chosen  by  the  head-men 
of  the  nation,  who  form  the  cabinet.  The  present  prime  minister 
is  not  of  royal  birth  and  cannot  become  king,  but  there  is  no  doubt 
but  that  he  directs  the  policy  of  the  government,  and  is  married 
to  the  queen.  When  a  Malagasy  sovereign  succeeds  to  the  throne 
an  oath  of  allegiance  must  be  taken  by  all  persons  of  distinction. 
There  are  three  forms  of  oath  :  the  "  Lefonomby," — spearing  the 
calf;  "Velirano," — striking  water;  and  "Hasina," — presenting 
silver  coin.  In  the  first  spears  are  stuck  into  the  carcass  of  a 
young  calf  just  killed,  and  the  persons  sworn,  assent  by  violently 
shaking  these  spears,  while  a  judge  repeats  a  certain  form  of  oath. 
In  the  second,  assent  to  tlie  oath  is  given  by  the  parties  striking 
a  pool  of  water  with  boughs,  in  which  rice-chafi",  flowers  of  certain 
trees,  a  musket-ball,  and  some  other  things  had  been  previously 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  207 

thrown.     In  the  third  a  silver  dollar  is  presented  to  the  sovereign. 
This  last  ceremony  is  done  on  all  state  occasions. 

Malagasy  society  is  divided  into  three  great  ranks :  the  first, 
that  of  the  Andrians,  or  nobles,  are  the  descendants  of  former  in- 
dependent sovereigns,  and  some  are  still  allowed  certain  privileges, 
among  which  the  right  to  carry  a  scarlet  umbrella,  and  to  construct 
a  diflFerent  kind  of  tomb  from  that  of  people  generally.  The  An- 
drians are  the  old  hereditary  nobility,  but  they  are  poor  and  do 
not  have  the  influence  of  the  higher  "  voninahitra"  (honor  men). 
The  prime  minister,  Bainilaiarivony,  is  not  an  Andrian,  but  his 
family  had  great  influence  for  many  generations.  The  second  class 
is  composed  of  the  Hova  commoners,  or  free  people,  who  are  sub- 
divided into  the  borizano  (civilians)  and  miaramila  (or  military). 
All  these  are  liable  to  do  all  kinds  of  government  work.  They 
are  sent  to  cut  timber,  quarry  stone,  and  build  houses  for  the  ser- 
vice of  the  government  without  pay.  This  service  is  somewhat 
oppressive,  but  it  is  rendered  in  lieu  of  taxes,  and  the  burden  is 
generally  shifted  on  to  the  next  lower  class.  The  third  are  the 
slaves ;  but  Malagasy  slavery  is  of  a  domestic  nature,  and  the 
slaves  are  treated  as  inferior  members  of  the  family  to  which  they 
belong.  There  are  three  classes  of  slaves :  the  Zaza-Hovas,  who 
are  of  the  same  stock  as  the  Hovas,  and  became  slaves  by  debt, 
political  ofi'ences,  and  certain  crimes.  The  second  class  are  the 
Andevos,  the  descendants  of  those  who  were  captured  in  the  wars 
of  Radama  I.  The  third  class  are  Makuas,  negroes  who  were 
brought  in  "  dhows"  by  Arab  slave-dealers  and  sold  to  the  Mala- 
gasy. This  class  was  formally  set  free  in  1877,  but  many  of  them 
still  remain  with  their  former  owners. 

The  structure  and  arrangements  of  native  houses  vary  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  Madagascar.  A  Hova  house  is  generally  oblong,  of 
a  breadth  about  two-thirds  its  length.  It  runs  north  and  south, 
and  the  door  and  windows  are  always  on  the  west  side,  sheltered 
from  the  prevailing  southeast  trade-winds.  Hard  clay  is  used  as 
a  kind  of  adobe  by  the  Hovas,  but  planks  are  more  common.     In 


208  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

these  the  planks  are  upright  and  grooved  at  the  edges.  The  tim- 
bers are  placed  close  together,  and  pieces  of  the  tough  fibrous  bark 
of  the  fern-tree  are  stuck  between  each  plank.  The  door  is  made 
solid  of  one  piece  of  wood,  and  instead  of  hinges  has  a  projecting 
piece  at  the  top  and  bottom,  let  into  a  socket  in  the  lintel  and 
threshold.  A  wooden  shutter  is  provided  for  the  window,  with  a 
piece  of  cotion  or  muslin  instead  of  glass,  of  which  there  is  none. 
The  old-fashioned  roof  has  an  enormously  high  pitch ;  three  stout 
poles  from  the  floor  support  the  ridge,  and  rafters  are  brought 
down  from  the  ridge  to  wall-plate.  A  slender  bamboo  framework 
is  then  tied  on  by  stout  grass,  after  which  the  thatch  is  laid  on, 
in  regular  sets,  often  a  foot  thick.  The  gables  are  also  thatched 
and  have  outside  rafters,  which  are  crossed  and  project  above  for 
several  feet.  These  last  form  house-horns,  and  in  some  of  those  of 
the  wealthy  people  have  ornamental  figures  of  a  bird  carved  on 
them.  There  is  no  chimney,  and  the  smoke  finds  its  exit  through 
a  small  hole  in  the  north  gable. 

Some  of  the  grass  houses  built  by  the  Sakalavas  are  very 
pretty  when  new ;  they  are  built  of  the  stems  of  palm-leaves, 
placed  upright  in  the  ground  a  few  inches  apart.  Round  holes 
are  cut  in  these  uprights  for  smaller  horizontal  stems  to  run 
through  and  form  the  body  of  the  walls,  while  the  space  is  filled 
up  with  palm-leaves.  In  one  which  we  saw  at  Mojanga,  consid- 
erable taste  was  displayed  in  the  arrangement  of  the  palms,  which 
were  cut  like  a  half  of  a  palm-leaf  fan  and  placed  diagonally  be- 
tween the  frames  in  regular  rows.  Other  horizontal  stems  are 
placed  on  the  inside,  and  all  parts  are  tied  together  with  cocoanut 
fibre  to  give  solidity  to  the  wall.  The  roof  is  supported  by  end 
poles,  and  the  gable  walls  project  about  a  foot  outside  the  other 
two.  The  floor  inside  is  generally  of  hard  clay  and  often  matted ; 
no  chairs  or  tables  are  seen,  but  a  clean  mat  is  brought  out  and 
unrolled  for  visitors  to  sit  upon.  The  arrangement  of  the  interior 
is  exactly  the  same  for  nearly  all  houses.  The  bed  occupies  the 
northeast  corner.     The  hearth  is  near  the  northwest  corner,  and 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  209 

consists  merely  of  a  few  stones  for  supporting  the  cooking  utensils. 
The  smoke  covers  the  inside  of  the  roof  with  soot  in  long  pen- 
dants, which  they  will  not  remove,  because  it  is  an  evidence  of  the 
long  occupation  of  the  dwelling, — a  social  aristocratic  distinction. 
The  Malagasy  are  complimented  when  mentioned  as  "  the  ancient 
soot."  The  rice-bin  has  its  peculiar  place  in  the  southeast  corner, 
and  sometimes  there  is  a  box  for  clothes  and  valuables.  Fowls 
and  pigs  are  often  at  home  in  the  southern  part  of  the  house. 

In  speaking  of  the  direction  of  places,  the  Malagasy  always 
refer  to  the  compass  bearing  north,  east,  south,  or  west  as  may  be, 
and  never  use  the  terms  to  the  "  right  or  left,"  "  above  or  below," 
etc.  Before  the  introduction  of  clocks  and  watches,  which  are 
still  very  rare  except  among  the  wealthy  at  the  capital,  time  was 
marked  by  the  points  reached  by  the  sun's  rays  in  different  parts 
of  the  house  through  the  day.  The  following  will  incidentally 
convey  an  idea  of  the  habits  of  life : 

Daybreak about    6  o'clock. 

The  dew  is  dry «        7  « 

Feed  cattle «        8  " 

Sunshine  on  the  roof "        9  " 

The  day  is  wide  open "      10  " 

Sun  at  doorstep "      11  " 

Sun  over  the  ridge "      12  " 

Sun  shines  in  the  door <«        1  « 

Sun  shines  on  rice  mortar "       2  " 

Sun  on  east  wall «<       4  « 

Collect  cattle "       6  « 

The  red  sun "  6.30  " 

Sunset «       «  " 

Cook  rice «        7  « 

Eat  rice "       8  " 

Gun-fire  at  the  capital "        9  " 

People  lie  down "      10  " 

Midnight "      12  " 

Frog  croaking .        .        .  "       3  " 

Cock  crowing •'  3.30  " 

Seen  the  color  of  cattle .  "  6.30  " 

The  east  is  light "  5.45  " 


210  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

The  year  is  divided  into  twelve  moDths  or  moons,  of  twenty- 
eight  days  each,  so  that  the  year  is  eleven  days  shorter  than  ours. 
New  Year's  day  is  eleven  days  earlier  every  year.  Many  of  the 
names  of  the  months  begin  with  the  Arabic  article  "  al."  For 
example,  *'  Alakarabo,"  "  Alahotsy,"  which  evinces  Arab  origin 
for  the  little  knowledge  of  astronomy.  There  are  many  super- 
stitions connected  with  what  are  called  lucky  and  unlucky  days. 
Children  born  at  certain  times  were  often  put  to  death,  and  at 
certain  others  a  child's  evil  destiny  had  to  be  overcome  by  an 
ordeal  or  by  the  propitiatory  offering  of  "  faditra,"  a  scapegoat. 

The  peculiar  dress  of  the  Malagasy  is  the  lamba,  a  piece  of 
cloth  about  three  yards  long  and  two  yards  wide,  folded  round  the 
body  under  the  arms,  with  one  end  gracefully  thrown  over  the 
shoulder,  somewhat  like  the  Roman  toga.  It  is  made  of  various 
materials, — silk,  cotton,  hemp,  banana,  or  rofia-palm  fibre.  Al- 
most all  Malagasy  women,  from  the  queen  downward,  can  spin  and 
weave.  The  silk  lambas  are  often  very  beautiful  and  expensive. 
The  patterns  are  generally  arranged  in  stripes  of  different  colors, 
with  flowers  and  leaves  worked  in,  and  very  elaborate  borders. 
The  ordinary  dress  for  men  consists  of  a  long  piece  of  cloth  round 
the  loins,  sometimes  a  coarse  jacket,  and  always  a  lamba  of  some 
cheap  material.  The  Sakalavas  on  the  west  coast  do  not  wear  the 
lamba.  A  straw  hat  is  worn  by  those  in  the  army.  No  head 
covering  is  allowed  to  civilians.  No  use  is  ever  made  of  the  skins 
of  animals  for  dress.  The  women  wear  no  bonnets  or  other  head 
covering,  but  often  carry  a  parasol.  The  European  dress  is  gradu- 
ally becoming  more  and  more  general  throughout  the  land. 

Rice  is  the  staff  of  life  to  the  Malagasy,  and  its  culture  occu- 
pies a  great  portion  of  the  time  and  attention  of  every  part  of 
the  community.  To  have  a  meal  is  termed  "  mihinam-bary,"  that 
is,  "  to  eat  rice."  The  rice-fields  are  all  nearly  perfectly  level,  so 
that  water  may  flow  evenly  over  every  part  of  the  growing  crops. 
Rice-culture  involves  a  great  deal  of  labor,  for  every  stalk  is  not 
only  sown  but  also  transplanted.     The  work  commences  in  what 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  211 

are  called  the  "  ketsa"  grounds,  which  are  a  series  of  terraces 
formed  on  the  sloping  hill-sides  of  the  valleys,  each  with  a  low 
bank  of  earth,  about  a  foot  high,  to  prevent  the  soil  and  plants 
from  being  washed  down  to  the  next  lower  level.  Spring-water  is 
conducted  over  the  uppermost  terraces,  from  which  it  flows  down 
each  successive  step  to  the  plain  below.  These  ketsa  grounds  have 
the  appearance  of  an  immense  green  and  watery  staircase  on  the 
hill-sides.  The  rice  is  sown  thickly  upon  the  ground  on  these  ter- 
races, after  it  has  been  dug  and  softened  by  the  water  flowing 
over  them.  After  a  few  weeks  the  blade  comes  up  thickly,  and 
when  about  six  inches  long  is  ready  for  transplanting.  In  plant- 
ing, the  young  plants  are  taken  up,  tied  in  small  bundles,  and  car- 
ried to  the  rice-fields  in  the  plain.  These  fields  are  kept  covered 
with  water  a  few  inches  deep,  brought  by  an  extensive  system  of 
canals  and  water-courses  from  the  river  Ikiopa.  A  number  of 
plants  are  held  in  one  hand  and  rapidly  and  dexterously  fixed  in 
the  soft  soil,  leaving  plenty  of  room  between  each  to  avoid  crowd- 
ing. The  country  then  experiences  a  great  change,  large  tracts 
of  dry  brown  land  being  speedily  covered  with  an  exquisite  green 
carpet  of  rice-plants.  In  harvest-time  the  great  plain  is  covered 
with  waving  crops  of  yellow  grain,  resembling  a  barley-field  when 
ripe,  but  still  growing  in  water  a  foot  deep.  In  harvesting  the 
men  go  up  to  their  knees  in  water  and  cut  the  rice  with  large 
straight-bladed  knives.  Sheaves  are  formed  and  piled  in  small 
canoes,  in  which  they  are  carried  to  the  banks  and  then  laid  out 
to  dry  in  the  sun.  The  rice  is  then  threshed  upon  large  stones  or 
smooth  hard  clay.  No  flail  is  used,  but  the  grain  is  separated 
from  the  husk  by  simply  beating  the  heads  of  a  handful  of  stalks 
on  the  stones  or  hard  clay.  The  rice  is  then  dried  again  and 
stored.  The  granaries  are  dome-shaped  pits  dug  in  the  hard  clay 
soil.  The  mouths  are  covered  with  small  flat  stones  and  then  with 
earth,  to  make  the  pits  air-tight.  On  level  plains  granaries  are 
built  of  clay  in  cones  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  high,  with  an  opening 
in  the  top  covered  with  a  stone  as  in  the  pits. 


212  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

These  rioe-pite  were  formerly  used  for  the  capital  punishment  of 
criminals.  The  convict  was  put  in  the  pit  with  his  head  above 
the  ground,  after  which  the  pit  was  filled  with  boiling  water  to 
soald  him  to  death.  Some  Christians  suffered  martyrdom  in  this 
manner. 

The  spade  used  differs  from  those  in  America.  The  blade  is 
long  and  narrow,  and  is  fitted  with  a  handle  six  or  seven  feet  long, 
made  of  heavy  hard  wood  to  sink  by  its  own  weight  and  pressure 
of  the  hands,  without  requiring  pressure  of  the  foot  on  the  blade. 
Rice  is  generally  kept  in  the  husk  until  required  for  each  meal,  of 
which  they  have  two  each  day,  one  in  the  forenoon  and  again  soon 
after  sunset.  The  rice  is  prepared  daily  by  placing  it  in  a  large 
wooden  mortar,  and  pounding  it  with  a  wooden  pestle  of  hard  wood 
about  five  or  six  feet  long.  The  rice  is  then  winnowed  by  shaking 
it  in  a  large  flat  wooden  dish.  It  is  then  washed  repeatedly  in 
cold  water,  cooked  in  globular  earthen  pots,  and  served  in  dishes 
of  coarse  glazed  native  pottery.  Horn  or  wooden  spoons  are  stuck 
into  each  portion  of  rice,  and  the  meat  gravy  is  either  poured  over 
it  or  served  in  another  dish.  The  poorer  classes  often  have  no 
meat  with  their  rice,  though  beef  is  good,  plentiful,  and  cheap,  as 
are  all  kinds  of  poultry.  Mutton  is  poor  and  lean,  the  native 
sheep  being  hairy  and  more  like  the  goat.  Beef  is  eaten  at 
funerals,  feasts,  and  rejoicings.  The  Malagasy  are  specially  fond 
of  soups  and  stews,  and  when  they  cannot  get  meats  content 
themselves  with  the  boiled  leaves  of  the  mangahazo  and  the 
manioc-root,  which  is  nutritious  but  insipid.  A  taste  for  tea  and 
coffee  is  spreading,  and  a  very  fair  quality  of  coffee  has  been 
grown  near  Antananarivo.  The  Hovas  are  not  addicted  to  drunk- 
enness, but  a  coarse  spirit  is  distilled  from  sugar-cane,  and  cheap 
clarets  and  vermouth  are  imported.  Aft«r  each  meal  they  rinse 
the  mouth  with  cold  water,  which  probably  accounts  for  the  white- 
nefls  of  their  teeth.  They  consider  Europeans  very  uncleanly  in 
neglecting  this  practice.  Smoking  is  not  practised  except  by  a 
few,  who  have  learned  to  do  so  from  foreigners.     Tobacco  grows 


MALAQAST  0IBL8  POUNDING   RICE  IN   A    MOKTAK. 
(From  II  photograph  by  Lieut.  J.  J.  IIvskkr.) 


I'ttge  218. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  213 

\rild,  and  the  weed  is  almost  universally  used  in  the  form  of  snuff, 
mixed  with  ashes  of  some  sweet-scented  plants.  The  snuff  is  not 
applied  to  the  nostrils,  but  placed  between  the  lower  lip  and  gums. 

Almost  every  one  who  does  not  know  the  Malagasy  language 
will  be  struck  by  the  length  of  many  of  the  names,  such  as 
"  Rainivoninahitriniony"  or  "  Rabadonandrianampoinimerina." 
The  first  is  the  name  of  the  former  prime  minister,  and  both  are 
of  course  compound  names ;  the  last  is  easily  understood  by  sepa- 
rating the  parts, — "  Rabadon"  the  child  of,  "  andrian"  the  prince, 
"  ampoin"  in  the  heart  of,  "  imerina"  the  name  of  that  part  of 
Madagascar  where  the  Hovas  live ;  the  whole  name  means,  "  the 
child  of  the  prince  in  the  heart  of  Imerina."  Other  names  can 
be  similarly  analyzed.  There  are  no  family  names  as  with  us,  and 
it  is  often  difficult  to  distinguish  different  ones  to  know  "  who  is 
who."  It  will  have  been  noticed  that  most  of  the  names  begin 
with  the  syllables  "  Ra"  or  "  Raini,"  as  Ramasiaka,  Rainitavy, 
the  names  of  those  we  met  on  board  the  ship.  The  prefix  "  ra" 
added  to  any  word  makes  a  proper  name  of  it,  as  "  voalavo" 
means  rat,  but  "  Ravoalavo"  is  the  name  of  a  person.  The  other 
prefix,  "  raini,"  means  the  "  father  of,"  and  it  is  a  common  custom 
for  a  man  on  becoming  a  father  to  name  his  son  and  then  change 
his  own  by  prefixing  "  Raini"  to  his  son's  name  and  dropping  his 
old  one.  A  man  may  have  been  called  Rakota  all  his  life  until 
he  had  a  son,  whom  he  named  Rasoa,  and  then  he  became  known 
as  Rainisoa.  The  mother  often  changes  her  name  in  the  same 
way  and  becomes  Renisoa,  the  mother  of  Rasao. 

The  name  taken  by  the  sovereign  becomes  sacred  and  may  not 
be  mentioned  lightly.  This  sacredness  is  applied  to  everything 
connected  with  a  sovereign  after  his  death.  The  body  is  not  called 
a  corpse  but  "  the  sacred"  ;  it  is  not  said  to  be  buried  but  bidden. 
Sakalavas  on  the  west  coast  change  the  name  of  their  sovereign 
after  his  death,  and  consider  it  sacrilegious  to  speak  of  him  by  his 
former  name.  The  name  given  after  death  is  held  in  greatest  rev- 
erence ;  it  always  ends  in  "  arivo"  (thousand),  and  with  the  other 


214  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

portions  of  the  name  signifies  that  he  was  loved  or  feared  by  a 
thousand,  etc.  If  any  one  has  met  with  a  misfortune  he  will  often 
change  his  name  to  overcome  his  bad  luck.  Many  Biblical  names 
have  been  introduced  since  Christianity  has  made  such  progress. 
Daniel,  Joseph,  etc.,  become  Radaniela,  Rajosefa. 

The  canoes  and  boats  of  the  Malagasy  are  very  peculiar. 
They  are  generally  hollowed  out  of  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  Some 
of  those  on  the  lakes  in  the  interior  are  forty  feet  long,  three  feet 
wide,  and  three  feet  deep,  with  no  keel.  A  primitive  contrivance 
called  zahitra  is  used  upon  the  rivers  on  the  southeast  coast. 
This  consists  of  a  number  of  bamboos  lashed  together  at  the  bow 
and  spreading  out  like  a  fan  astern.  They  also  have  boats  called 
"sary"  on  that  coast,  built  of  planks  carefully  fitted  together,  with 
the  ends  rising  like  a  whale-boat,  thirty  feet  long  and  eight  feet 
beam,  which  can  easily  carry  fifty  persons.  No  nails  are  used  in 
its  construction,  the  planks  being  all  tied  together  with  palm-fibre 
and  the  holes  plugged.  There  is  no  frame,  but  thwarts  act  as 
braces,  being  let  through  the  planking.  The  seams  are  calked 
by  strips  of  bamboo,  and  bamboo  is  used  for  thole-pins.  The 
oars  are  long  and  similar  to  ours.  The  Sakalavas  use  the  out- 
rigger canoes,  numbers  of  which  were  frequently  alongside  the 
"  Brooklyn."  Two  light  poles  are  lashed  across  the  canoe  a  short 
distance  from  the  bow  and  stern,  and  support  a  stout  floating  piece 
about  four  feet  outside,  by  two  upright  pieces  let  into  the  float 
and  tied  to  the  outrigger-poles.  Sometimes  there  are  two  floats, 
but  generally  a  floating  piece  on  one  side  and  a  light  pole  between 
the  two  outriggers  on  the  other.  A  piece  of  cotton  sheeting  is 
used  for  a  sail  stretched  between  two  poles.  One  may  be  said  to 
serve  for  mast  and  the  aft^r  one  for  sprit.  The  float  is  always  on 
the  lee  side,  and  all  canoes  are  double-enders. 

The  Malagasy  are  skilful  in  all  handicrafts.  Every  woman 
can  spin  and  weave  ;  the  spindles  are  simply  a  long  piece  of  the 
tough  bark  of  the  anivona  palm,  to  which  a  circular  piece  of 
bone  is  fitted  to  fix  the  cotton,  wool,  or  silk  cocoons.     The  looms 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  215 

are  rude  contrivances :  four  pegs  stick  in  the  ground  with  shght 
connecting  pieces,  and  a  long  piece  of  wood  to  tauten  the  woof, 
a  shuttle,  and  a  few  hanks  of  yarn.  With  these  simple  means 
the  women  produce  strong  and  often  beautiful  stuffs  of  hemp, 
cotton,  rofia  palm  and  banana  fibre,  and  silk.  In  plaiting  mats, 
baskets,  and  hats  their  ingenuity  is  very  apparent.  In  the  coarser 
kinds  the  tough  peel  of  the  zozoro,  or  papyrus  (the  same  material 
used  by  the  ancients  for  writing  upon),  is  employed,  and  in  the 
finer  ones  the  grasses  of  the  country.  The  hats  rival  the  cele- 
brated Panama  hat,  and  have  double  thickness.  They  commence 
at  the  crown  and  work  towards  the  edge,  which,  therefore,  has  to 
be  hemmed  in.  In  the  nests  of  boxes  the  smallest,  three-quar- 
ters of  an  inch  cube,  are  made  of  straw  like  the  finest  thread,  and 
also  is  of  double  thickness. 

In  metal-work  the  men  are  no  less  ingenious  than  the  women. 
All  kinds  of  iron,  copper,  and  brass  wrought  work  can  be  pro- 
duced with  neat  finish.  The  spears  made  by  the  Baras,  of  which 
there  were  a  "  few"  on  board,  are  good  specimens.  The  staves  have 
inlaid  copper  bands,  and  the  lower  ends  are  fitted  with  a  sharp 
spade-piece.  The  spear-blades  vary  in  size  according  to  the  rank 
of  the  owner.  At  the  capital  goldsmiths  make  exceedingly  fine 
minute  silver  chains  and  silver  filigree-work  something  like  the 
Maltese.  Trades  and  occupations  are  beginning  to  define  the  dif- 
ferent classes  more  distinctly,  especially  among  the  Hovas, — skilled 
artisans,  musicians,  carpenters,  leather- workers,  and  traders.  There 
are  no  banks  as  yet,  and  money  is  stored  in  a  hole  in  the  house. 
They  sometimes  lend  money,  but  at  about  fifty  per  cent,  interest. 

The  system  of  fanompoana,  or  compulsory  government  service 
without  pay,  is  naturally  a  great  drawback  to  those  who  learn  a 
trade,  because  the  prospect  of  being  obliged  to  devote  their  ac- 
quirements for  the  service  of  the  crown  without  pay  is  not  en- 
couraging. All  persons  are  obliged  to  render  this  service,  and  the 
greater  their  ability  the  greater  the  demand  for  this  service.  This 
system  will  probably  be  discontinued.     A  beginning  has  already 


216  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

been  made,  and  taxes  will  be  eventually  substituted  as  more 
equitable. 

Besides  being  obliged  to  render  free  service  to  tbe  crown,  the 
Malagasy  pay  the  greatest  respect  to  the  sovereign.  Every  one 
must  turn  out  of  the  way  before  the  queen,  and  also  before  any- 
thing belonging  to  the  crown.  One  frequently  sees  the  road 
cleared  of  people,  and  all  heads  being  uncovered,  as  a  native  with 
a  spear  precedes  a  party  of  men  with  water-jugs,  luggage,  or 
cattle,  shouting  "  Mitarila  !"  ('*  Get  out  of  the  way ;  it  is  royal 
property !")  The  queen  never  leaves  the  palace  without  being  ac- 
companied by  the  chief  people,  nobles,  hundreds  of  soldiers  and 
attendants.  Her  presence  is  always  known  by  a  large  scarlet  um- 
brella carried  over  her,  even  when  on  the  veranda  or  in  the  royal 
gardens.  Scarlet  is  the  royal  color  in  Madagascar,  and  none  but 
the  queen  may  wear  a  scarlet  lamba.  Upon  a  queen's  death  the 
royal  houses  are  draped  in  scarlet  from  the  ridge  to  the  ground. 

The  queen  is  never  seen  in  the  streets  except  in  the  state 
filanjana,  and  never  alights  from  it  in  the  city  except  to  stand  on 
the  sacred  stone.  One  of  these  is  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  upon 
which  the  queen  always  stands  when  returning  to  the  city  from  a 
distance,  to  receive  the  salutes  of  the  troops  while  the  forts  fire 
cannon.  The  other  sacred  stone  is  on  the  plain  below  the  city, 
which  the  queen  stands  upon  at  her  coronation  ;  similarly  in  Eng- 
land the  coronation -chair  in  Westminster  Abbey  having  the  stone 
from  Scone  under  it.  The  queen  always  occupies  the  highest  seat 
in  all  Malagasy  assemblies. 

The  most  interesting  assembly  is  the  Malagasy  Karbary,  held  at 
the  capital  usually  in  a  large  triangular  lot  called  Andohalo,  or 
else  at  Mahamasina,  a  little  west  of  the  city.  The  people,  all,  old 
and  young,  except  mere  infants,  go  to  the  assembly  ground  at  day- 
light and  take  their  allotted  places  and  wait  most  patiently.  Early 
in  the  forenoon  guns  are  fired  to  announce  the  departure  of  officers 
frt)m  the  palace  with  the  royal  message.  Drums  and  bands  an- 
nounce their  approach  through  lanes  in  the  crowd,  kept  open  by 


THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  217 

lines  of  soldiers.  On  important  occasions  the  prime  minister 
brings  the  message,  he  and  the  numerous  officers  of  high  rank 
being  clad  in  gorgeously-embroidered  uniforms.  Lines  of  inferior 
officers  receive  them,  and  the  scene  presented  is  richly  variegated 
with  all  kinds  of  distinctive  dresses  of  the  different  tribes  and 
classes  of  people.  The  prime  minister  then  gives  word  of  command 
to  the  troops,  who  present  arms  towards  the  palace  to  salute  the 
queen,  and  the  multitude  turn  in  the  same  direction,  uncover,  and 
shout  "  Trarantitra !"  ("  Reach  old  age  !")  Guns  fire  royal  salutes, 
and  the  bands  play  the  national  air.  The  officer  next  in  rank  then 
orders  the  salute  to  the  prime  minister,  who  stands  uncovered 
while  the  troops  support  arms  and  salute.  This  officer  is  in  turn 
saluted  by  next  in  rank,  and  so  on  for  two  or  three  grades  lower. 
After  these  preliminaries  the  prime  minister  draws  his  sword  and 
delivers  the  royal  message,  which  he  does  eloquently.  Almost  all 
Malagasy  are  said  to  be  born  orators.  In  these  speeches  there  is 
also  a  long  recital  of  the  queen's  ancestry,  and  mention  of  her 
predecessors,  and  then  finally  the  subject  of  the  message.  At 
every  important  point  the  question  is  asked,  "  Do  you  not  agree  to 
my  wishes  ?"  to  which  they  shout  "  Izay  !"  ("  We  do  !")  The 
prime  minister  resumes  his  seat,  and  the  representatives  of  differ- 
ent tribes,  nobles,  etc.,  reply  in  regular  precedence  according  to 
rank.  When  replying  to  the  speech  three  persons  from  each 
class  advance,  salute  the  queen,  and  after  repeating  the  usual  com- 
plimentary phrases,  they  express  in  vague  and  general  terms  their 
assent  to  the  words  they  have  heard,  give  assurance  of  fidelity  and 
loyalty,  and  present  the  "  hasina"  (silver  dollar).  On  some  occa- 
sions, amidst  popular  excitement,  these  speeches  are  lengthy,  and 
the  speaker  will  turn  around  to  his  companions  and  demand  in  a 
loud  voice,  "  Fa  tsy  izay  va?"  ("  Do  you  not  agree  with  me?")  to 
which  they  shout,  "  Izay !"  (assent)  in  reply.  On  very  special 
occasions  the  queen  comes  in  person  and  delivers  her  speech  at  the 
Karbary  with  great  ceremony. 

Among  the  peculiar  customs  there  is  the  brotherhood  by  blood 


218  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

covenant  called  "  Fato-dra,"  that  is,  "  bound  by  blood."  It  varies 
among  different  tribes,  but  essentially  consists  in  taking  a  small 
portion  of  blood  from  the  breast  or  side  of  each  of  the  two  con- 
tracting parties,  which  is  mixed  with  other  ingredients,  stirred  up 
with  a  spear-point,  and  then  a  small  portion  swallowed  by  each, 
while  strong  oaths  of  friendship  are  made,  binding  each  to  be 
ready  and  willing  to  make  any  sacrifice  for  the  other's  benefit ; 
because  they  both  then  become  of  one  blood.  The  French  trav- 
eller, M.  Grandidier,  became  blood-brother  of  the  Sakalava  king, 
Zomena,  of  Tanosy,  south  of  the  St.  Augustine  River.  In  this 
case  all  the  people  of  the  tribe  congregated  around  him,  and  the 
king  seated  on  a  mat  in  the  centre.  An  ox  was  brought,  thrown 
down,  and  had  its  legs  tied  together.  A  prince  of  the  royal  family 
out  the  ox's  throat,  and,  reciting  some  prayers,  received  the  first 
blood  in  a  calabash  with  water.  A  pinch  of  salt,  some  soot,  brine, 
powder,  and  rum  were  added,  and  both  parties  stirred  the  conse- 
crated liquid,  the  king  with  his  spear-point,  the  Frenchman  with 
his  ramrod.  One  of  the  chiefs  then  delivered  a  speech,  reciting 
the  obligations  of  this  compact ;  then  Zomena  took  a  small  wooden 
bowl  and  poured  out  some  of  the  liquid  for  the  Frenchman,  who 
drank  the  contents  off.  The  king  patted  him  on  the  back  and  all 
the  people  came  up  and  shook  hands,  calling  him  brother  of  their 
king.  The  Frenchman  then  filled  the  bowl  for  the  king,  who 
drank  the  contents  in  the  same  manner,  while  the  other  chief  men 
drank  the  remainder  in  the  calabash. 

The  Sakalavas  have  a  peculiar  medicine-dance  for  the  cure  of 
the  sick.  This  is  called  "  Bilo"  at  Mourondava,  and  "  Salamanga" 
in  Tnllear.  A  platform  of  poles  is  supported  about  eighteen  feet 
above  the  ground  by  four  stout  poles  with  two  ladders,  the  rounds 
tied  on,  leaning  against  it.  The  invalid  is  carried  on  top  of  the 
platform  and  laid  on  a  mat  with  his  face  turned  upward.  Charms 
are  tied  on  the  projecting  ends  of  the  ladders  and  idols  placed  at 
the  foot  of  each  of  the  poles.  About  sunset  all  preparations  are 
oompleted  and  the  people  congregate  around  the  structure  for  the 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  219 

dance,  to  charm  away  the  evil  spirit  in  the  invalid.  An  ox  is 
killed  and  his  blood  sprinkled  upon  the  posts.  Fires  are  lighted 
at  dark  and  the  dance  begins  to  the  music  of  drum  and  native  flute, 
accompanied  by  a  doleful  chorus  by  the  women,  who  clap  their 
hands,  while  the  men  join  hands  and  dance  around,  striking  the 
idols,  as  they  pass  the  posts,  with  their  spears.  The  dance  grows 
quicker  and  quicker,  the  people  shout  and  scream  to  compel  the 
idols  to  drive  the  evil  spirit  out  of  the  invalid  ;  and  it  is  kept  up  for 
about  two  hours,  when  nearly  all  are  completely  exhausted  by  the 
dance  and  frenzied  excitement.  The  invalid  is  then  removed,  and 
if  he  recovers  some  one  of  the  dancers  is  believed  to  have  received 
his  evil  spirit.  If  not,  and  there  remains  no  immediate  prospect 
of  recovery,  he  is  killed,  at  his  own  request  or  that  of  his  nearest 
relative,  by  being  speared  through  the  breast.  The  higher  the 
rank  of  the  invalids  the  greater  the  ceremony,  more  oxen  are 
killed,  and  a  greater  number  of  fires  lighted  for  the  occasion.  In 
Mourondava,  Tullear,  and  other  towns  these  structures  are  perma- 
nent, and  in  the  former  place  the  dances  take  place  in  the  afternoon, 
one  of  which  was  witnessed  by  a  number  of  our  officers. 

Witchcraft  and  sorcery  have  had  great  influence  with  the  Mala- 
gasy ;  and  all  kinds  of  charms  are  in  vogue,  especially  away  from 
the  Christianized  portions  of  the  country.  These  are  called  "  ody." 
The  charm,  "  odifaty,"  is  a  cordial  for  use  in  case  of  sorrow  or 
great  danger ;  "  odifitia"  is  a  love  charm  ;  "  odiratsy"  malignant 
charm,  etc.  The  Bara,  Tanala,  and  some  east  coast  tribes  wear 
charms  around  their  neck.  These  are  small  pieces  of  wood 
smeared  with  oil.  The  richer  classes  have  them  ornamented  with 
beads.  The  bones  of  a  lemur's  hands  and  feet  are  worn  as  charms 
against  fatigue.  A  small  piece  of  wood,  shaped  like  a  canoe,  is  a 
charm  against  drowning.  Little  human  figures  are  charms  for 
obtaining  spoils,  getting  many  slaves,  etc.  Pieces  of  bullocks' 
horns  are  said  to  charm  away  a  musket-ball.  These  are  orna- 
mented with  tin  or  beads,  a  cavity  made,  which  is  filled  with  ashes 
of  certain  woods  of  magical  trees  and  mixed  with  fat  or  beeswax ; 


220  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

this  called  "  odibasy"  is  believed  to  render  the  wearer  invulnera- 
ble. The  Betsileos  have  charms  cut  from  trees,  which  they  rub 
on  a  rough  stone  and  then  eat  the  dust  to  cure  sickness,  for  anti- 
dotes against  poison,  curing  wounds  and  giving  protection  against 
poison,  lightning,  and  crocodiles,  the  latter  being  the  most  dreaded. 

The  administration  of  law  is  in  the  hands  of  judges,  who  act 
as  representatives  of  the  queen.  Before  the  reign  of  Ranavalona 
I.  there  was  no  code  of  laws ;  but  decisions  were  made  upon  the 
oral  testimony  of  witnesses  in  the  presence  of  the  accused.  The 
judges  used  to  meet  in  the  house  of  the  accused,  but  this  custom 
was  abolished  because  the  king,  Radama  I.,  once  passed,  by  the 
bouse  where  a  case  was  being  tried,  and  the  judges  pretended  not 
to  see  him,  and  did  not  rise  to  salute  as  is  the  custom.  The  king 
then  ordered  the  house  to  be  pulled  down,  and  that  all  trials  should 
thereafter  take  place  in  the  open  air.  Disputes  are  very  frequent, 
no  lawyers  are  employed,  and  every  one  pleads  his  own  case.  The 
judges  now  sit  on  a  raised  bank  of  earth,  and  the  depositions  are 
taken  on  a  piece  of  paper  laid  on  the  knee.  In  difficult  cases  the 
judges  often  retire  to  consult,  and  formerly  they  used  to  resort  to 
an  ordeal  by  poison  This  "tangena"  ordeal  consisted  in  taking 
portions  of  two  poison-nuts  rubbed  in  the  juice  of  a  banana. 
The  culprit  first  had  to  eat  a  little  rice  and  swallow  three  square 
pieces  of  a  fowl's  skin.  Afler  taking  the  poison  he  was  given  a 
little  warm  water,  and  if  he  vomited  the  three  pieces  of  skin  un- 
injured he  was  declared  innocent,  if  he  did  not  the  chances  were 
that  he  would  die  of  the  poison,  and  all  further  evidence  of  his 
guilt  was  unnecessary.  People  had  the  most  implicit  faith  in  this 
poison  ordeal,  and  when  under  suspicion  would  demand  to  be  sub- 
jected to  it,  though  it  was  certain  that  many  would  be  victims. 
Whole  villages  took  the  ordeal  at  times,  and  the  mortality  caused 
by  it  was  very  great.  In  the  treaty  with  England  in  1865  the 
use  of  the  "  tangena"  ordeal  was  abolished. 

The  punishments  inflicted  are  very  severe.  In  the  army  they 
consist  of  flogging,  degradation  in  rank,  confinement  with  or  with- 


TEE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  221 

out  irons,  and,  in  case  of  desertion  or  cowardice,  death  by  being 
burnt  alive.  This  last  was  adopted  by  the  soldiers  themselves 
when  appealed  to  by  Kadama  I.,  Madagascar's  Napoleon ;  but  was 
abolished  about  six  years  ago.  The  Hovas  are  not  so  regardless 
of  life  as  before  the  introduction  of  Christianity.  For  crimes, 
the  penalties  were  flogging  more  or  less  severe,  loading  with 
chains,  etc.,  but  rarely  confinement.  Convicts  are  put  to  hard 
labor  on  public  works.  Certain  crimes  were  punished  by  maim- 
ing :  cutting  oflF  the  hands  and  feet ;  but  this  is  not  practised 
now.  Money  fines  are  frequently  imposed,  especially  for  damages 
by  stray  cattle ;  and  one  peculiar  case  is  the  fine  of  an  ox  and 
a  dollar  if  a  man's  house  burns  down,  no  matter  what  the  cause. 
For  political  offences  and  non-payment  of  debts  persons  are  often 
sold  into  slavery,  and  sometimes  the  offiender's  wife  and  children 
are  included. 

The  tribes  of  Sakalavas,  Mahafalas,  Baras,  etc.,  who  live  in  the 
southwestern  districts  are  extremely  savage,  and  their  punishments 
severe  and  barbarous.  Capital  punishment  by  spearing  through 
the  back  is  common.  Theft  was  punished  by  death,  and  the  usual 
fine  for  all  offences  was  one  hundred  oxen  and  a  slave.  This  sen- 
tence is  invariably  pronounced  now  when  a  case  is  decided  by  the 
king.  But  it  is  not  executed ;  some  substitute  is  accepted  instead, 
as  a  few  yards  of  cloth  or  a  musket,  or  if  the  offence  is  very 
grave,  a  few  oxen  besides. 

The  traders  at  Tullear  have  frequently  been  robbed,  and  when 
the  thieves  were  discovered  it  resulted  in  the  imposition  of  this 
fine,  but  the  amount  paid  was  merely  a  nominal  substitute,  not  to 
be  compared  with  the  value  of  articles  stolen,  which,  by  the  way, 
were  seldom  returned. 

Since  the  abolition  of  polygamy  the  family  life  has  taken  very 
much  the  same  form  as  among  Europeans.  Among  the  Hovas  a 
marriage  is  celebrated  first  at  the  house  of  the  bride's  father,  and 
then  at  that  of  the  bridegroom's  family.  The  young  couple  sit 
together  to  eat  rice  and  other  food  with  one  spoon  from  the  same 

15 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN, 

dish.  A  handsome  silk  lamba  is  thrown  round  them  both,  and 
the  marriage  becomes  legal  and  binding  bj  presenting  a  small 
sum  of  money  to  the  bride's  parents.  Among  the  Sakalavas, 
when  a  young  man  wants  to  obtain  a  girl  as  his  wife,  his  courage 
and  qualifications  are  tested,  by  having  a  clever  speursman  to 
throw  spears  from  a  distance  at  the  young  man,  which  he  must 
catch  without  displaying  any  fear  in  order  to  be  declared  an 
accepted  lover.  The  king  of  the  Hovas  was  allowed  twelve  wives, 
who  used  to  have  a  voice  in  the  administration  of  the  govern- 
ment. Several  of  Kadama's  wives  are  still  living,  but  as  Mada- 
gascar laws  do  not  allow  of  a  king  in  the  future,  this  custom  is 
abolished.  Strong  family  affection  and  tribal  clannish  feelings  exist 
among  the  Malagasy,  and  one  of  the  most  dreaded  evils  is  to  be 
"  ariana,"  cut  off  by  his  family  or  tribe.  This  family  affection  is 
even  extended  to  the  slaves  born  in  the  family,  who  are  looked 
upon  as  inferior  members,  very  much  as  was  the  case  in  the 
Southern  States  before  the  war  of  secession. 

There  are  many  strange  observances  and  beliefs  connected  with 
death.  At  the  death  of  a  sovereign  a  number  of  things  become 
"  fady," — prohibited  for  a  specified  time.  At  the  death  of  Radama 
I.,  everybody  was  ordered  to  shave  the  head,  no  showy  dress  or 
ornaments  were  allowed,  riding  on  horseback  or  in  a  filanjana, 
weaving  silk,  working  in  precious  metals,  carpentry,  straw  plait- 
ing, all  salutations,  playing  on  musical  instruments,  dancing  and 
singing,  were  all  forbidden  for  a  considerable  time.  At  the  death 
of  Queen  Rasoherina,  in  1868,  similar  orders  were  issued  declar- 
ing what  was  "  fady."  Among  the  Sakalavas,  when  a  death  occurs 
in  their  villages  they  move  their  settlement  to  a  short  distance. 
They  seem  to  believe  that  the  spirit  of  the  deceased  will  haunt 
the  spot  and  harm  those  who  stayed  where  it  lived.  This  con- 
tinual change  accounts  for  their  unsubstantial  style  of  houses, 
Qsually  mere  grass  huts.  The  Sihanaka  do  not  pull  down  the 
house  nor  remove  the  village,  but  leave  the  house  vacant  to  fall 
to  pieces.     When  they  take  a  corpse  to  the  grave  one  man  carries 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  223 

a  dish  filled  with  burning  cow-dung  on  his  head,  which  is  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  grave  so  that  the  corpse  may  get  fire  if  it 
should  be  cold. 

The  tombs  and  burial  customs  of  the  Malagasy  vary  in  difierent 
parts.  The  large  amount  of  time,  trouble,  and  money  expended 
on  them  is  remarkable.  This  arises  from  their  religious  belief 
that  their  departed  friends  become  divine.  When  a  Sakalava 
king  dies,  the  corpse  is  wrapped  in  an  ox-hide  and  buried  in  the 
deepest  recesses  of  the  forests.  After  some  months  the  chiefs 
meet  together  and  collect  one  of  the  vertebrae  of  the  neck,  a  nail, 
and  a  lock  of  hair,  which  are  put  in  a  crocodile's  tooth  and  taken 
to  the  sacred  house  where  similar  relics  of  former  kings  are  pre- 
served. The  rest  of  the  corpse  is  buried  with  much  ceremony, 
oxen  being  killed.  Formerly  human  sacrifices  were  offered,  the 
bodies  of  these  victims  being  placed  under  the  royal  bier.  The 
possession  of  these  relics  constitutes  the  right  to  royal  authority. 
A  usurper  who  obtains  control  over  the  relics  has  no  difficulty  in 
dispossessing  the  legitimate  heir.  Some  of  these  relics  were  kept 
in  the  Hova  town  adjoining  the  governor's  palace  at  Mojanga,  and 
after  the  bombardment  the  French  erected  a  tent  on  the  spot, 
placed  a  guard  there,  and  claim  that  they  hold  these  relics.  The 
Hovas  say  they  took  them  away ;  but  the  spot  is  still  sacred,  and 
the  Sakalavas  believe  the  French. 

The  majority  of  Hova  tombs  are  cubical  vaults,  built  of  slabs 
of  hard  blue  basalt  rock.  A  Hova  will  spend  several  hundred 
dollars  in  the  construction  of  his  own  tomb,  which  he  begins  as 
soon  as  he  has  his  family.  A  man  gets  the  voluntary  services  of 
his  friends  to  assist  him,  and  takes  the  greatest  interest  in  com- 
pleting it  as  soon  as  practicable.  Coffins  are  not  used,  but  the 
corpse  is  wrapped  in  a  number  of  dark  red  silk  lambas  and  laid  on 
a  shelf  in  the  tomb.  The  tombs  of  the  sovereigns  have  a  small 
and  neatly  finished  wooden  house  on  top  of  the  stone  structure, 
like  a  dwelling-house,  except  that  it  has  no  window  nor  hearth. 
Valuable  property  was  often  stored  in  it  for  use  of  the  deceased. 


224  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

The  royal  corpse  is  placed  in  cofBns  made  of  plates  of  silver  coins 
hammered  out  to  the  requisite  shape.  The  prime  minister's  tomb 
is  the  largest  stone  structure  in  the  country.  It  is  sixty  feet 
square  and  surrounded  by  a  stone  veranda,  supported  on  columns 
with  moulded  bases  and  capitals,  and  carrying  segmental  arches. 
This  part  is  fourteen  feet  high.  A  flight  of  stone  steps  leads  to 
the  top,  and  upon  its  level  surface  there  is  an  open  arcade,  also 
square  in  plan,  the  arches  having  elegantly  carved  dropping  key- 
stones. At  each  angle  of  the  front  there  is  a  graceful  columnar 
structure.  The  columns  rest  on  massive  square  pedestals,  and  are 
banded  with  rounded  mouldings.  The  whole  structure  has  some- 
what of  a  Hindoo  appearance  in  style,  and  in  some  details  resembles 
ancient  Assyrian  buildings,  but  it  is  a  modern  building. 

There  are  many  more  peculiar  customs,  which  would  be  inter- 
esting to  the  general  reader,  but  those  described  will  convey  an 
idea  of  them  all.  Almost  all  of  them  arise  from  heathen  super- 
stitions, and,  as  the  light  of  Christianity  shines  through  the  land, 
these  peculiarities  will  be  modi6ed  and  gradually  disappear. 

Antananarivo,  the  city  of  a  thousand  towns,  occupies  a  pictur- 
esque and  commanding  site  upon  the  summit  and  slopes  of  a  lofty 
hill  of  granite  and  basalt  rock.  This  hill  stretches  from  north  to 
south  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  and  rises  to  five  hundred  feet  above 
the  plain.  Three  sides  are  steep,  but  the  northern  end  branches 
into  two  divisions,  which  gradually  slope  down  to  the  plain.  There 
is  no  other  hill  of  any  size  for  miles,  so  that  it  is  conspicuous  at  a 
great  distance,  and  recognized  by  a  vast  bulk  of  palaces  on  its 
summit.  The  eastern  slopes  are  covered  with  a  dark  ma.s8  of 
houses,  placed  most  irregularly,  from  the  nature  of  the  ground, 
and  built  of  dark  timber  with  the  old  high-pitch  thatched  roofs. 
The  houses  on  the  lower  part  of  the  hill  are  mostly  built  of  clay. 
The  sky-line  is,  however,  broken  by  two  or  three  stone  houses,  and 
on  two  conspicuous  points  at  the  ends  of  the  hill,  by  lofty  Gothic 
spires  of  two  Christian  churches,  built  in  1868.  One  of  these,  the 
memorial  church  at  Ambohipotsy,  is  on  the  site  where  Rasalama, 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  225 

a  heroic  young  Christian  woman,  the  first  martyr  of  Madagascar, 
was  speared  to  death  in  1837.  Next  in  the  line  of  sight  there  is 
the  stone  house,  built  by  Radama  II.,  for  a  school-house.  It  is  a 
plain,  long,  low  structure,  and  was  remarkable  as  being,  until  re- 
cently, the  only  stone  building,  except  the  churches,  and  also  from 
the  fact  that,  though  a  government  work,  the  workmen  were  paid 
for  their  labor. 

The  royal  palaces  next  attract  attention.  They  are  grouped  in 
a  large  court-yard  and  include  about  a  dozen  buildings.  The 
largest  is  the  chief  palace,  Manjaka-Miadana,  one  hundred  feet  long 
by  eighty  feet  wide,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  high  to  the 
apex  of  its  lofty,  sloping  roof.  A  wide  veranda  in  three  stories 
runs  round  the  palace,  and  is  supported  by  enormous  posts  with 
semicircular  wooden  arches,  all  painted  white  except  the  balus- 
trading.  The  Trano-Vola,  silver-house,  is  next  in  size.  It  has  a 
veranda  of  two  stories,  and  is  painted  red,  except  the  roof.  There 
arc  some  ancient  structures  north  of  these  with  the  enormously 
high-pitched  roofs  and  long  projecting  house-horns  at  the  gable 
ends.  These  were  built  by  the  first  Hova  kings.  The  palace  of 
Queen  Rasoherina,  built  in  1867,  has  beautifully  carved  gables 
and  verandas,  but  it  is  hidden  by  the  other  royal  buildings.  The 
palace  gardens  show  a  mass  of  verdure,  and,  as  seen  from  a  db- 
tance,  give  a  refreshing  rest  for  the  eye.  The  houses  of  the  prime 
minister,  oflScers  of  the  palace,  and  other  prominent  officials  are 
near  the  royal  palaces. 

A  striking  peculiarity  is  the  entire  absence  of  doors  and  windows 
on  the  east  side  of  the  houses.  Groups  of  houses  occupy  terraces 
on  the  hill-sides ;  there  are  no  streets,  and  it  is  very  difficult  to 
find  a  thoroughfare.  The  only  piece  of  level  ground  of  any  extent 
is  just  above  the  point  where  the  two  northern  divisions  of  the 
city  hill  divide,  and  leave  a  triangular  space  of  nine  acres  called 
Andohola,  where  the  Karbarys  are  held.  The  boundary  of  the 
city  is  marked  by  small  guard-houses,  and  in  olden  times  there 
used  to  be  gateways  at  these  points,  intended  to  keep  hostile  tribes 


226  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

oat  of  the  town.  There  is  but  one  of  these  gates  still  existing, 
which,  with  the  tombs,  is  about  the  only  ancient  structure  in  the 
city.  This  gate  is  built  of  thin  slabs  of  rock,  and  is  covered  with 
a  thatched  roof.  The  opening  is  closed  by  a  rock,  shaped  like  a 
millstone,  which  is  rolled  across  from  one  side  in  a  rude  groove. 
It  is  probably  about  two  hundred  years  old.  In  the  neighborhood 
of  the  city  there  are  three  places  to  which  entrance  is  still  for- 
bidden to  all  Europeans.  These  are  kept  sacred  and  reserved,  as 
a  concession  to  the  rigid  conservatives  among  the  people. 

Within  the  last  fifteen  years  the  city  has  been  almost  entirely 
rebuilt.  The  new  houses  are  of  sun-dried  brick,  on  European 
models.  The  great  palace  has  been  altered,  its  wooden  verandas 
replaced  by  modem  stone  mason-work,  with  high  corner  towers 
and  Corinthian  columns.  European  art  is  largely  employed  and 
the  peculiar  Malagasy  type  abandoned.  There  is  very  little  Hova 
art,  and  that  of  the  Baras  and  Betsileos  is  rude  and  primitive,  and 
is  only  admired  as  curious. 

Christian  schools  have  been  established.  Education  is  not  only 
eagerly  sought,  but  compulsory  to  a  certain  degree,  and  the  pros- 
pects for  a  glorious  future  are  very  promising. 

THE   FRENCH  IN  MADAGASCAR. 

A  brief  glance  at  the  history  of  Madagascar  will  convince  any 
one  of  the  ambition  of  French  navigators  to  obtain  control  of 
that  island.  The  French  settlements  upon  the  neighboring 
islands,  Mauritius,  Bourbon,  etc.,  stimulated  this  desire,  and  the 
present  war  is  only  the  natural  sequence  of  a  policy  by  which  the 
French  have  convinced  the  Malagasy  peoples  that  they  intended 
to  make  a  conquest  of  that  island,  and  were  only  waiting  for  a 
favorable  opportunity  to  execute  their  long-cherished  plans. 

The  English  missionaries  were  the  first  to  obtain  any  influence 
over  the  Hovas,  and  as  the  Hovas  becanle  the  dominant  race,  it 
naturally  resulted  in  strong  antipathy  against  the  French.  Cer- 
tain rebellious  Sakalava  chiefs  living  on  the  coast  near  the  French 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  227 

settlements  appealed  to  the  latter  for  protection  against  the  ex- 
actions of  the  Hovas,  and  the  French  always  lent  a  willing  hand 
in  favor  of  the  poor  oppressed  Sakalavas,  and  now  claim  a  pro- 
tectorate over  the  whole  northwest  coast,  in  accordance  with 
treaties  with  these  Sakalavas. 

The  French  residents  in  Tamatave,  Mqjanga,  Antananarivo,  and 
other  places  under  the  Hova  government,  have  been  subjected  to 
a  great  many  annoyances,  and  especially  to  grievous  exactions  by 
unpaid  Hova  officers,  for  which,  in  view  of  constant  revival  of 
ancient  laws,  they  have  had  no  legal  redress.  The  French  settlers 
were  largely  interested  in  the  sugar  plantations,  and  many  of 
them  felt  themselves  entitled  to  buy  the  estates  in  their  own  right 
whenever  they  might  desire  to  do  so.  The  recodification  of  Mala- 
gasy laws  in  1881  re-enacted  the  ancient  laws  forbidding  aliens 
to  own  any  real  estate  in  fee-simple.  These  and  other  enactments 
of  similar  purport  caused  bitter  opposition  of  the  French  planters, 
while  certain  interested  speculators  magnified  the  grievances  by 
incendiary  articles  in  the  French  papers. 

In  the  mean  time  an  Arab  "  dhow,"  loaded  with  arms  and 
manned  by  an  Arab  crew,  but  under  the  French  flag,  landed  on 
the  northwest  coast,  where  she  was  attacked  by  the  Sakalavas, 
who  killed  the  crew,  confiscated  the  arms,  and  destroyed  the 
"dhow."  The  French  consul  at  Antananarivo  considered  this 
an  outrage,  and  demanded  ten  thousand  dollars  damages  from  the 
Hova  government  and  an  apology  for  the  insult  to  the  French 
flag.  The  prime  minister,  however,  saw  his  opportunity,  and  to 
the  astonishment  of  the  French  consul  immediately  paid  the 
damages  claimed  through  the  American  consular  agent  at  Mojanga. 

The  prime  minister  then  determined  to  punish  the  perpetrators 
of  the  outrage  on  the  French  flag,  and  prepared  an  expedition  to 
establish  posts  on  the  northwest  coast.  The  French  agent,  how- 
ever, objected  to  any  armed  occupation  of  that  territory  by  the 
Hovas,  and  reasserted  the  claim  of  French  protectorate  over  that 
coast  in  virtue  of  treaties  with  the  Sakalava  inhabitants.     The 


228  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

prime  minister  claimed  the  right  of  his  government  to  punish 
offenders  against  the  law,  especially  when  they  had  been  com- 
pelled to  pay  damages  for  an  outrage  which  had  been  recently 
committed. 

Both  parties  insisted  upon  their  respective  rights  over  the  dis- 
puted territory.  The  Hovas  sent  their  flag  with  privileges  to 
certain  of  the  most  prominent  chiefs,  who  considered  it  a  special 
favor  to  be  allowed  the  honor  of  flying  this  flag ;  and  a  vessel, 
called  the  "  Antananarivo,"  was  fitted  up  to  convey  a  force  of 
Hova  soldiers  to  the  northwest  coast,  but  the  French  naval 
forces  forbade  her  departure  from  Tamatave. 

The  French  settlers  then  met  and  wrote  a  stirring  appeal  for 
protection  to  the  president  of  the  French  republic.  This  peti- 
tion throws  no  light  upon  the  question,  but  dwells  at  great  length 
upon  the  distress  of  Frenchmen  in  Madagascar,  and  *.'  why  France 
should  desert  her  oppressed  children,  exposed  to  the  cruel  exactions 
and  despotic  laws  of  a  savage  government."  This  document  is  a 
curiosity  in  its  vague  generalities,  and,  while  no  single  case  is  cited, 
yet  it  leaves  an  impression  of  dreadful  wrongs  and  great  injustice 
suffered  by  helpless  Frenchmen  in  a  heathen  country. 

The  appeal  was  signed  by  most  of  the  French  settlers,  and 
resulted  in  the  bombardment  of  places  occupied  by  the  Hovas  on 
the  northwest  coast  and  the  declaration  of  war  as  stated  in  the 
history  of  the  country. 

The  French  held  Tamatave  and  Mojanga  when  the  "  Brooklyn" 
visited  those  ports,  but  there  was  no  probability  that  the  French 
would  ever  be  able  to  make  a  successful  invasion  of  the  country  of 
the  Hovas. 

The  Hovas  do  not  depend  upon  foreign  commerce, — in  fact, 
they  can  live  upon  the  island  without  any  intercourse  with  the 
rest  of  the  world ;  and  the  occupation  of  the  coast  by  the  French 
forces  does  not  incommode  them  as  much  as  foreigners,  especially 
the  commercial  houses  of  the  Americans  and  the  English. 

The  Hova  army  is  well  organized  and  equipped  with  Reming- 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  229 

ton  rifles,  Gatliog-guns,  and  Hotchkiss  revolving  cannon;  and, 
under  the  leadership  of  two  of  the  most  famous  modern  generals, 
— Generals  "  Fever  and  Forest," — expect  their  enemies  to  die 
before  they  ever  reach  the  highlands  of  "  Imerina."  It  will  re- 
quire an  army  of  at  least  fifty  thousand  men  to  successfully  invade 
Madagascar,  and  what  grievance  that  the  French  settlers  have 
suffered  will  compensate  for  such  great  sacrifice  on  the  part  of  the 
French  republic  ? 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


The  Sakalava  Outrage  on  American  Gold-Hunters — The  Investigation  by  the 
U.  S.  S.  "  Enterprise" — Arrival  of  the  "  Brooklyn"  at  Mourondava — Recep- 
tion by  Hova  Officials — Peculiar  Rites  of  Hospitality — Visit  of  Hovas  to  the 
"  Brooklyn"— Arrival  of  the  "  Brooklyn"  at  Tullear— Effect  of  Target- Prac- 
tice upon  the  Guilty  Consciences  of  the  Savage  Sakalavas — The  Lonely  Mis- 
sionary and  his  Labors  among  the  Heathen — The  Semi-Annual  Inspection 
by  the  Commander-in-Chief — Departure  for  Port  Elizabeth — Description  of 
Port  Elizabeth— The  Proposed  Docks — The  Hottentot  Clicks. 

TULLEAR   BAY. 
THE  SAKALAVA  OUTBAQE  ON  A  PABTY  OF  AMERICAN  GOLD-HDNTBBS. 

The  vicinity  of  St.  Augustine  Bay  and  River,  and  that  of  Tul- 
lear,  affords  the  best  harbor  on  the  southwest  coast  of  Madagascar. 
Numerous  reefs  abound  on  all  sides,  which  necessitate  careful  nav- 
igation, but  the  anchorages  are  good  and  safe.  Nos-Veh,  or  Sandy 
Island,  lies  off  the  southern  part  of  the  bay,  and  is  interesting  to 
us  as  having  been  the  site  of  English  observers  of  the  transit  of 
Venus  on  December  6,  1882,  who  went  there  in  H.  B.  M.  S. 
"  Fawn."  The  surrounding  country  is  low,  with  a  prominent  table- 
hill  three  or  four  miles  inland,  known  as  Westminster  Hall,  while 
farther  back,  the  interior  range  of  mountains  looms  up  as  a  relief 
to  the  dreary  coast  plains. 


230  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Sandy  Island  is  occupied  by  storehouses  of  English  and  French 
traders,  who  do  a  precarious  business  with  the  natives,  exchanging 
ootton-sheeting,  muskets,  powder,  and  general  merchandise  for 
orchilla-weed,  corn,  and  Madagascar  beans.  These  traders  have 
branch  houses  at  Tullear,  where  they  obtain  the  produce  from  the 
tribes  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river.  A  new  article  of  export 
has  been  recently  discovered  called  "  afotsy,"  fibre,  which  resem- 
bles slippery-elm  bark,  and  makes  a  very  superior  cordage.  This 
bark  comes  from  a  low  tree  about  thirty  feet  in  circumference, 
and  the  trade  can  be  supplied  to  an  almost  unlimited  amount  at 
one  dollar  and  thirty-six  cents  per  hundred  pounds.  The  Rev. 
L.  Rostvig  is  the  only  European,  except  the  traders,  living  in  the 
vicinity,  and  they  very  kindly  imparted  the  following  informa- 
tion: 

The  country  around  Tullear  is  known  as  the  province  of  Fihe- 
renga,  which  extends  from  the  St.  Augustine  north  to  the  Mangoke 
River,  and  about  seventy  miles  east  to  the  Bara  country  in  the  in- 
terior. The  inhabitants  number  about  fifty-seven  thousand,  and 
are  mostly  Sakalavas,  with  a  few  Mahafalys  and  Baras,  and  some 
African  Makuas.  They  are  divided  into  two  classes, — the  "  Vezo," 
rowing  people  on  the  coast,  and  "  Masikoto,"  country  people  farther 
inland.  The  banks  of  the  river  are  covered  with  villages  of  grass 
huts,  while  the  long  line  of  sandy  beach  is  broken  in  front  of 
them  by  rows  of  canoes,  hauled  up  above  high-water  mark,  show- 
ing the  readiness  of  the  inhabitants  to  move  to  another  site  at  any 
moment. 

The  Sakalavas  claim  to  be  the  descendants  of  the  first  inhab- 
itants of  Madagascar.  They  say  their  ancestors  came  from  the 
eastern  side  of  the  island,  and  consider  the  Hovas  to  be  mere  in- 
vaders, and  in  acknowledging  the  Hova  superiority  think  them  to  be 
of  European  extraction,  and  therefore  irresistible.  The  Hovas  con- 
quered them  in  the  time  of  Ranavalona  I.,  but  did  not  remain  in  the 
country  to  keep  up  their  authority.  At  present  the  recognition  is 
merely  formal.     Messages  are  sent  from  the  capital  to  the  king 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  231 

about  once  a  year,  and  the  king  sends  the  messenger  back  with  a 
musket,  some  spears,  etc.,  as  a  tributary  present.  There  used  to 
be  but  one  king  over  the  whole  province,  who  kept  the  people 
under  control,  but  now  there  are  a  number  of  kings,  and  disputes 
and  wars  are  constant.  The  Mahafalys,  who  live  to  the  southward, 
frequently  war  with  the  people  of  Fiherenga,  and  in  their  battles 
captives  are  made  slaves  and  the  severely  wounded  speared  to 
death.  The  Baras  also  come  down  to  fight,  but  more  frequently 
to  bring  cattle  and  spears  to  barter  with  the  traders.  All  these 
people  are  wild  savages  and  desperate  thieves,  never  hesitating  to 
resort  to  cowardly  measures,  and  to  kill,  in  order  to  plunder  their 
victims, 

September  9,  1882,  a  party  of  two  Americans,  Messrs.  Emer- 
son and  Hewlit,  and  a  Frenchman,  M.  Parent,  arrived  at  one  of 
these  villages,  called  Marohala,  bound  on  an  exploring  expedition 
into  the  interior  to  prospect  for  gold.  They  had  considerable  bag- 
gage, and  stopped  at  Marohala  overnight.  Emerson  was  a  crack 
shot  with  a  revolver,  and  displayed  his  skill  as  a  marksman  to  the 
savages.  Their  baggage  was  believed  to  contain  a  great  deal  of 
money,  and  this  so  excited  the  cupidity  of  the  natives  that  they 
determined  to  attack  the  party  on  their  journey.  The  travellers 
engaged  some  of  the  natives  to  carry  their  baggage,  and  left  the 
village  early  the  next  morning.  The  conspirators  had  preceded 
them  to  a  place  a  few  miles  back  of  the  village,  called  Izandroha, 
which  is  an  open  field  surrounded  by  bushes  and  tall  tamarind- 
trees.  They  met  some  Baras  there  bringing  cattle  down  to  the 
coast,  who  agreed  to  join  the  band  to  attack  the  strangers.  It 
was  planned  to  make  the  attack  a  surprise  by  killing  Emerson, 
who  was  dreaded  on  account  of  his  skill  as  a  marksman,  by  a  salvo 
of  musketry  from  behind  the  bushes.  The  party  suspected  noth- 
ing, although  warned  by  the  traders  beforehand,  and  were  care- 
lessly marching  on  when  Emerson  was  shot  and  instantly  killed. 
The  baggage-bearers  fled  at  once.  M.  Parent  offered  a  feeble 
resistance,  but  was  soon  killed  by  a  shower  of  spears  from  all 


232  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Bides,  after  which  the  savages  set  to  work  to  plunder  the  baggage. 
Hewlit  had  loitered  behind,  and  started  to  the  assistance  of  his 
comrades  when  he  heard  the  firing,  but  was  met  by  one  of  the 
baggage-bearers,  who  had  his,  Hewlit's  revolver,  and  who  urged 
him  to  run  for  his  life.  Hewlit  tried  to  get  his  revolver,  but  in 
doing  so  was  seen  by  some  of  the  band,  who  gave  chase  to  kill 
him.  Hewlit  ran  for  his  life,  when  the  native  threw  his  revolver 
at  him,  which  passed  over  his  head,  and  which  he  picked  up  and 
then  fired  on  his  savage  pursuers.  The  latter  then  gave  up  the 
chase  to  return  to  the  baggage.  A  spear  had  passed  through  the 
calf  of  Hewlit's  leg,  but  after  withdrawing  it  he  managed  to 
crawl  to  a  hut  in  the  vicinity,  where  he  was  hid  and  nursed  by  a 
friendly  Sakalava  medicine-man.  Hewlit's  leg  became  very  sore, 
but  after  a  few  days  he  was  able  to  reach  the  river  and  take  a 
canoe  to  Sandy  Island,  where  he  took  refuge  on  board  H.  B.  M.  S. 
"  Fawn." 

The  whole  aflFair  was  investigated  when  the  "  Enterprise"  visited 
Tullear,  and  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  State  Department,  that 
the  guilty  parties  may  be  duly  punished  by  the  Malagasy  author!-, 
ties.  Nothing  can  be  expected  from  the  native  kings  ;  indeed,  it 
is  probable  that  they  shared  the  plunder.  But  the  Hovas  will 
come  in  force  as  soon  as  the  present  difficulty  with  the  French 
has  been  settled ;  and  these  savages  know  their  crime  will  be 
severely  punished,  and  that  Americans  may  not  be  robbed  and 
killed  with  impunity.  While  the  "  Brooklyn"  was  at  Tullear, 
Mr.  Rostvig  and  the  traders  were  closely  questioned  as  to  what 
the  man-of-war  wanted  there,  and  no  explanations  could  satisfy 
their  anxious  fears. 

We  remained  at  anchor  off"  Mozambique  until  February  6,  when 
we  proceeded  to  Mourondava,  Madagascar.  Mozambique  has  few 
attractions,  and  after  a  stroll  over  the  fort,  through  the  narrow 
streets  of  the  Banyan  quarter,  and  down  the  main  avenue  to  the 
lower  end  of  the  island,  there  was  but  little  else  to  see.     The 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  233 

native  huts  are  built  of  palm,  roofed  with  thatch,  and  completely 
cover  the  fields  on  both  sides  below  the  level  of  the  avenue. 

The  officers  were  cordially  welcomed  by  Mr.  Cassidy  and  those 
connected  with  the  telegraph-cable  station ;  they  have  a  lawn- 
tennis  court,  which  affi)rded  pleasant  diversion.  Mr.  Auguste 
Brun,  the  French  consul,  was  also  very  hospitable.  February  3 
the  British  steamer  "Java"  arrived  from  Zanzibar  with  mail 
from  New  York  to  December  20,  kindly  forwarded  by  Mr.  F.  W. 
Cheney,  the  United  States  consul  at  Zanzibar. 

The  passage  to  Mourondava  was  made  without  incident,  and 
we  arrived  at  Andakabe  February  8.  Immediately  after  anchor- 
ing we  saluted  the  Madagascar  flag  with  twenty-one  guns,  and  in 
the  afternoon  received  visits  from  the  Hova  governor,  Kakota, 
tenth  honor,  and  Mr.  Stanwood,  the  United  States  consular  agent, 
who  were  saluted  with  seven  and  five  guns  respectively.  Anda- 
kabe is  a  small  Sakalava  village  of  grass  huts ;  two  Americans, 
Mr.  Stanwood  and  A,  Govea,  agent  of  George  Ropes,  of  Boston, 
and  Mr.  Leo  Samat  being  the  only  foreigners.  The  latter  hand- 
somely entertained  a  party  of  our  officers  at  his  plantation. 

Our  arrival  was  an  important  event,  as  the  only  communication 
we  have  had  with  the  Malagasy  government.  February  12  the 
governor  arranged  for  an  official  welcome  to  the  town,  with  a  pecu- 
liar Hova  ceremony  for  the  commander-in-chief  and  the  captain 
and  officers  of  the  "  Brooklyn."      ' 

Lieutenant  Phelps  and  Ensign  Ripley,  of  the  personal  staff,  and 
Lieutenant  Beehler  were  sent  to  represent  the  commander-in- 
chief  and  Captain  Weaver  respectively.  They  landed  through 
the  surf  and  went  to  the  consulate,  where  they  awaited  the  gov- 
ernor and  his  people.  The  first  appearing  of  the  natives  was  her- 
alded by  the  beating  of  a  drum,  when  a  long  line  filed  into  the 
court-yard,  preceded  by  two  fine  bullocks.  Each  man  carried 
something,  either  a  duck,  goose,  turkey,  or  a  bag  of  rice,  and  four 
men  with  a  ram,  and  all  sat  down  in  the  yard  to  await  the  pres- 
entation.    The  bullocks  were,  however,  somewhat  restless  and  in- 


234  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

quisitive,  and  not  only  investigated  all  the  enclosure,  but  walked 
in-doors  and  made  some  amusing  but  expensive  experiments.  But 
they  were  soon  secured.  The  governor  and  head-men  then  came 
in  and  sat  down  on  the  veranda.  Salutations  were  exchanged, 
and  the  governor,  Mr.  Rakota,  made  a  speech  in  Malagasy,  which 
was  interpreted  by  our  consul,  Mr.  Stanwood,  in  which  he  said 
that  he  extended  the  courtesies  of  the  land  and  a  welcome  from 
Her  Majesty  the  Queen,  the  Prime  Minister,  and  the  men  of  rank 
of  Madagascar  to  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  United  States 
naval  force  in  these  waters,  and  to  the  captain  and  officers  of  the 
"  Brooklyn,"  to  this  the  land  of  their  fathers ;  and  in  their  name 
offered,  as  was  the  immemorial  custom  of  the  people,  these  fruits 
of  the  land  and  the  perfect  freedom  of  the  kingdom.  The  officers 
then  replied  in  separate  speeches,  accepting  the  hospitable  welcome 
and  freedom  of  the  country,  and  expressing  the  sentiments  of  love 
and  friendship  for  the  queen  and  all  the  Malagasy  entertained  by 
the  commander-in-chief  and  captain  and  all  Americans,  and  their 
sympathy  with  the  Malagasy  in  their  cultivation  of  the  useful  arts 
and  sciences,  and  the  growth  of  the  Christian  religion  through  the 
land.  They  also  expressed  the  wish  that  they  might  enjoy  all  the 
blessings  of  peace  and  prosperity,  and  that  the  cordial  ties  of 
friendship  now  existing  between  the  United  States  and  Madagas- 
car may  continue  unbroken  forever.  The  bullocks  were  then  tied 
with  cocoanut  cords,  thrown  down,  and  killed  by  simply  cutting 
their  throats ;  the  carcasses  were  then  cut  up,  and  the  whole  lot 
of  presents,  consisting  of  two  bullocks,  one  ram,  two  turkeys,  two 
geese,  twelve  ducks,  eight  bags  of  rice,  were  sent  off  to  the  ship. 
These  were  divided  among  the  officers  and  crew,  and  all  had 
abundance. 

All  Americans  who  have  visited  the  country  have  been  received 
•8  the  most  favored  of  nations.  When  the  news  of  the  death  of 
President  Garfield  reached  the  late  Queen  Ranavalona  II.,  she  and 
her  whole  court  went  into  mourning  for  eight  days.  No  queen  of 
the  country  had  ever  gone  into  mourning  before.     The  officers  of 


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THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  235 

the  palace  and  dignitaries  of  the  kingdom  remonstrated  with  her  for 
this  conduct  as  contrary  to  the  customs  of  the  country,  but  she  re- 
plied that  she  considered  the  Americans  her  best  and  truest  friends. 

When  we  arrived,  Hova  officers  hastened  from  the  interior  to 
Andakabe  to  present  the  compliments  of  the  queen  and  prime 
minister.  They  arrived  Wednesday  evening,  and  the  next  day, 
February  14,  visited  the  ship  as  special  representatives.  They 
were  received  by  the  commander-in-chief,  Captain  Weaver,  and 
all  the  officers,  in  full-dress  uniform,  and  shown  the  greatest 
attention.  The  party  consisted  of  Rainiboay,  thirteenth  honor, 
aide-de-camp  of  the  prime  minister,  Rainitavy,  thirteenth  honor, 
officer  of  the  palace,  Ramasiaka,  twelfth  honor,  lieutenant-gov- 
ernor, and  Rakota,  tenth  honor,  with  our  consul,  Mr.  Stan  wood. 
We  had  a  dress  parade  of  the  battalion  and  an  exhibition  of  the 
silent  drill  by  the  marines.  They  were  very  much  pleased,  and, 
after  leaving,  received  a  salute  of  thirteen  guns.  In  the  after- 
noon there  was  another  presentation  of  the  ^uits  of  the  land  on 
shore,  speeches  were  made  as  before,  and  a  Sakalava  spear  combat 
arranged  for  the  officers. 

We  left  February  16,  and  arrived  off  Sandy  Island,  St.  Augus- 
tine's Bay,  Sunday,  the  17th,  without  special  incident. 

We  remained  at  anchor  off  Sandy  Island  until  5.15  a.m.,  Feb- 
ruary 21,  when  we  got  under  way  and  proceeded  to  Tullear,  where 
we  arrived  about  ten  a.m.  the  same  day,  the  distance  around  the 
reef  being  only  twenty-seven  miles.  We  found  our  charts  in 
error  in  regard  to  the  extent  and  location  of  the  reefs  in  this 
vicinity,  and  were  obliged  to  feel  our  way  along  with  caution. 
The  next  day  being  Washington's  birthday  was  celebrated  by 
dressing  ship  with  mast-head  flags  and  firing  the  national  salute 
of  twenty-one  guns  at  noon. 

Sunday,  February  24,  the  Rev.  L.  Rostvig  came  on  board  and 
attended  divine  service.  After  the  usual  services  he  kindly 
preached  a  sermon  in  the  Norwegian  language  to  his  countrymen 
on  board  the  ship,  of  whom  there  were  quite  a  number.     The 


236  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Norwegian  Lutheran  missionaries  have  been  engaged  in  Mada- 
gascar since  1867,  and  have  converted  about  thirty  thousand 
among  the  Betsileos.  In  1874,  Mr.  Rostvig  and  three  others 
were  sent  to  the  Sakalavas,  among  whom  they  have  been  work- 
ing faithfully,  but  without  any  encouragement.  The  three  who 
came  with  him  died  some  years  ago,  and  of  two  others  who  came  out 
since,  one  is  dead,  and  the  other  was  seriously  ill  in  the  swamp 
land  near  Mourondava.  Mr.  Rostvig  won  our  esteem  and  admira- 
tion by  his  devotion  to  these  benighted  savages,  especially  brought 
to  our  notice  by  his  kind  care  of  a  poor  Sakalava,  whose  arm  Dr. 
Steele,  of  this  ship,  amputated,  out  of  charity,  in  order  to  save 
his  life.  Mr.  Rostvig  reported  having  but  one  sincere  convert 
among  these  Sakalavas,  and  remains  exposed  to  their  savage 
brutality  without  pay  or  other  reward,  except  to  fulfil  his  calling. 

Monday,  February  25,  the  commander-in-chief  made  his  semi- 
annual inspection  of  the  "  Brooklyn."  We  had  been  looking  for- 
ward to  this  event  for  some  time,  in  order  that  this  inspection 
might  surpass  the  last,  notwithstanding  the  gratifying  results  then 
obtained.  We  went  to  quarters  for  inspection  at  9.15  a.m.,  when 
the  commander-in-chief  and  staff  thoroughly  inspected  the  ship. 
After  this  inspection  the  assembly  was  sounded  for  dress  parade, 
and  companies  duly  formed  and  marched  on  line  as  usual.  After 
the  parade  the  companies  marched  off  for  drill  in  different 
branches,  the  first  division  at  artillery,  the  second  at  infantry  tac- 
tics and  pistol  drill,  the  third  at  single-sticks,  and  the  marines  as 
infantry  and  in  the  manual  by  drum -tap.  These  detailed  drills 
were  all  very  satisfactory.  At  10.30  a.m.  all  boats  were  called 
away,  "armed  and  equipped"  for  distant  service.  The  flotilla 
formed  line  abreast  the  starboard  beam,  and  executed  several 
manoeuvres  in  naval  tactics  under  oars,  after  which  each  boat  was 
thoroughly  inspected  by  the  personal  staff  to  see  that  all  equip- 
ments were  in  good  order  and  properly  provided.  This  exercise 
was  very  good  and  all  details  promptly  executed. 

All  hands  went  to  dinner  at  seven  bells,  and  at  12.53  the  in- 


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THE    CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  237 

spection  was  resumed  by  calling  all  hands  to  clear  ship  for  action. 
At  1.10  P.M.  the  drum  beat  to  general  quarters,  and  the  crew 
worked  with  alacrity  to  be  ready  in  the  shortest  time  possible. 
Alt  hands  were  exercised  at  general  quarters  and  as  boarders  and 
riflemen,  and  the  time  required  for  the  different  evolutions  noted 
by  the  staff.  After  the  general  exercises  separate  gun's  crews 
were  exercised  in  detail,  and  individual  members  of  the  crews 
examined  as  to  their  personal  knowledge  about  the  guns,  their 
ranges,  charges,  mode  of  sighting,  and  other  details.  Some  guns 
were  transported  and  the  pivots  exercised  at  shifting  from  side  to 
side,  as  part  of  the  inspection.  Before  securing,  an  improvised 
torpedo  was  exploded  from  the  port  torpedo-boom.  We  had  fire 
quarters  when  at  general  quarters,  and  subsequently  another  exer- 
cise under  the  bill,  with  the  crew  not  at  quarters.  The  inspec- 
tion lasted  all  day.  It  was  oppressively  hot,  but  every  one  tried 
to  do  his  best,  and  the  inspection  was  very  satisfactory. 

The  next  day  we  sent  down  the  fore-topmast  trestle-trees,  which 
had  been  found  to  be  rotten  when  on  the  passage  from  Cape  Town 
to  Tamatave.  Our  carpenter's  gang  did  excellent  work,  and  had 
made  new  trestle-trees,  which  were  sent  up  on  February  27.  All 
the  standing  rigging  was  overhauled  and  the  masts  restayed,  some 
excellent  work  being  done  by  Boatswain's  Mate  Dennis  Twiggs, 
who  was  temporarily  in  charge  of  that  department.  The  yards 
and  masts  were  given  a  new  coat  of  paint,  and  the  rigging  black- 
ened down,  so  that  the  ship  presented  a  very  handsome  appearance. 

March  3  we  had  target-practice  with  the  starboard  broadside 
battery,  at  regulation  target,  at  from  eleven  hundred  to  twelve 
hundred  yards.  The  practice  was  good,  and  though  we  fired  to 
seaward  it  badly  frightened  the  natives,  who  were  very  much 
alarmed  at  our  presence,  because  of  their  murder  of  an  American 
explorer.  Ten  shots  were  fired  from  the  Hotchkiss  revolving 
cannon,  and  all  the  divisions  exercised  at  target-practice  with 
rifles. 

At  6.10  A.M.,  March  5,  we  finally  got  under  way,  and  proceeded 

16 


238  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

across  the  Mozambique  Channel  to  Port  Elizabeth.  We  had  ex- 
ceptionally fine  weather,  fair  winds,  and  a  strong  favorable  current, 
except  on  the  evening  of  March  7,  when  a  fresh  southeast  wind  and 
swell  indicated  a  severe  gale  along  the  coast  at  Natal.  We  arrived 
at  Port  Elizabeth  at  2.20  P.M.,  March  11,  and  found  it  to  be  a 
very  thriving  city,  and  much  more  like  an  American  place  than 
any  we  had  visited  since  our  departure  from  New  York  in  1881. 
The  Madagascar  cruise  was  most  successfully  finished.  It  was 
very  hard  work,  and  attended  with  many  discomforts,  especially 
in  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  fresh  provisions ;  but  it  left  only  a 
few  more  months  before  the  expiration  of  the  cruise,  and  the 
prospect  of  returning  home  compensated  for  the  hardships  in  a 
great  degree.  Four  months  had  elapsed  since  we  left  Cape  Town, 
in  which  time  we  spent  fifty-four  days  at  sea,  and  sailed  a  distance 
of  seven  thousand  five  hundred  and  twenty  miles.  We  called  at 
ten  different  ports,  which  we  entered  without  taking  a  pilot  in  any 
case,  though  all  required  careful  navigation,  and  some  were  very 
narrow  and  difficult.  Pilots  offered  their  services  at  Zanzibar  and 
Mozambique,  but  they  were  declined.  The  health  of  the  ship 
was  excellent,  and  we  were  thankful  to  have  made  the  cruise  with- 
out having  had  any  accident. 

PORT  ELIZABETH. 

Port  Elizabeth  was  founded  by  Sir  Rufane  Donkin  in  1820, 
daring  a  period  of  great  commercial  distress  in  England.  Ninety 
thousand  applicants  desired  to  take  advantage  of  the  provisions  of 
the  immigration  act  to  settle  in  South  Africa  in  that  period,  as 
fifty  thousand  pounds  had  been  granted  for  that  purpose  by  the 
British  Parliament.  A  very  respectable  class  of  immigrants  was 
chosen  from  the  applicants,  and  twenty-three  vessels  were  chartered 
to  take  them  to  their  destination,  the  first  of  which  arrived  at 
Algoa  Bay  in  April,  1820,  followed  soon  aft«r  by  the  rest  of  the 
immigrants;  who,  numbering  four  thousand,  immediately  set  to 
work  to  improve  the  land,  each  family  having  received  a  freehold 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  239 

of  one  hundred  acres.  Large  tracts  of  land  were  ploughed  and 
planted,  a  greater  portion  with  wheat ;  but  this  crop  was  blighted 
by  rust.  The  colonists  made  three  other  attempts,  and  repeated 
failures  reduced  them  to  want,  though  corn  and  rye  were  grown 
successfully.  In  October,  1823,  a  storm  caused  the  rivers  to  over- 
flow, the  dwellings  were  washed  away,  and  the  poor  colonists  lost 
all  they  had.  Their  struggle  for  existence  under  these  desperate 
circumstances,  coupled  with  frequent  invasions  by  the  Kaffir  tribes, 
almost  led  them  to  abandon  the  settlement ;  but  their  triumphs 
over  adversities  developed  an  energetic  community,  which,  con- 
tending with  apparently  insurmountable  obstacles,  has  risen  to  be 
the  most  thrifty  of  the  colony. 

The  town  was  named  after  the  deceased  wife  of  the  founder,  who 
built  an  obelisk  in  the  square,  in  front  of  the  town-hall.  The  city 
is  built  on  the  bluffs  overlooking  the  bay.  The  public  buildings  are 
large  and  very  handsome,  while  all  the  houses  are  modern  struc- 
tures, so  neat  and  tidy,  with  small  adjoining  gardens,  that  a 
stranger  cannot  fail  to  feel  attracted  and  desire  to  take  up  his  resi- 
dence there.  Water  is  supplied  by  an  aqueduct  from  the  Van 
Staden  River,  twenty-seven  miles  from  the  town-hall. 

There  is  an  extent  of  unoccupied  land  back  of  the  city  limits, 
with  deep  ravines  among  the  hills,  which  are  occupied  by  Kaffir 
villages.  The  term  "Kaffir"  is  of  Arabic  origin,  and  means 
"  heathen,"  and  denotes  various  families,  such  as  the  Zulus,  Ama- 
tonga,  Matabele,  Basutos,  and  many  other  tribes  who  are  more  or 
less  allied  to  each  other.  In  the  vicinity  of  Port  Elizabeth  the 
Kaffirs  are  too  weak  to  give  the  people  very  much  trouble,  but 
they  are  obliged  to  compel  them  to  move  their  "  kraals,"  as  their 
villages  are  termed,  from  time  to  time  farther  back  as  the  city 
grows,  because  they  will  not  adopt  European  dress.  A  kilt  of 
skins  is  the  only  garment  worn,  but  lately  gaudy  clothes  have  ex- 
cited their  innate  vanity  and  mimicry  to  such  an  extent  that  many 
are  beginning  to  desire  fine  clothing,  and  in  time,  if  this  craving 
be  stimulated,  the  Kaffirs  may  be  forced  to  work  in  order  to  ob- 


240  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

tain  it.  Some  of  them  have  already  abaDdoned  their  kraals  and 
live  in  the  city,  where  they  form  the  chief  element  in  the  laboring 
classes. 

The  country  is  treeless,  but  the  citizens  have  managed  to  lay  out 
two  fine  public  gardens,  and  trees  have  been  planted  on  "  the  Hill," 
the  fashionable  quarter,  which  is  now  very  attractive.  The  town- 
hall  is  the  finest  building,  and  cost  about  twenty-six  thousand 
pounds.  There  are  several  fine  churches,  bank  buildings,  schools, 
and  a  fine  drill-hall  of  a  crack  military  company,  besides  a  new 
wool  and  feather  market-house. 

The  officers  visited  the  feather  market,  and  were  very  much 
entertained  by  the  manner  in  which  ostrich-feathers  were  sold. 
The  feathers  were  laid  in  piles  on  a  series  of  ten  tables,  each 
about  ninety  feet  long,  and  sold  at  auction  to  the  highest 
bidder.  The  auctioneer,  with  a  party  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feather 
dealers,  started  at  one  end  of  a  table  and  took  up  the  bundles  of 
feathers  in  regular  succession.  Each  bundle  of  feathers  was  sold 
by  weight  at  so  many  shillings  per  pound,  and  while  bidding  the 
dealers  roughly  examined  each  lot  and  made  their  bids  without 
hesitation.  These  men  were  all  experts  in  the  value  of  feathers, 
and  by  simply  handling  them  were  prepared  to  make  a  bid.  The 
rapidity  of  the  sale  was  a  regular  walk  through  the  market,  and 
no  outsider  could  by  any  means  get  a  show  at  making  a  bid. 
There  were  few  really  fine  feathers  at  this  sale,  except  one  small 
parcel  of  twelve  feathers  weighing  two  ounces,  which  brought  the 
price  of  forty-two  pounds  per  pound,  or  twenty-five  dollars  and 
fifty-five  cents  for  the  lot  of  twelve  feathers. 

The  inhabitants  number  thirteen  thousand  and  forty-nine,  the 
majority  of  whom  are  descendants  of  the  original  English  settlers. 
There  are  but  few  Dutch,  and  the  absence  of  this  class  has  con- 
duced to  harmony  and  public  spirit  among  the  citizens.  Two 
lines  of  railroad  lead  back  into  the  interior,  one  of  which  com- 
pleted a  junction  with  that  from  Cape  Town  in  March,  1884.  The 
distance  by  rail  is  eight  hundred  and  thirty-seven  miles,  now 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  241 

performed  in  sixty  hours ;  the  direct  distance  is  about  four  hun- 
dred miles.  Nearly  the  whole  of  the  trade  of  the  midland  dis- 
tricts, the  Orange  Free  State,  and  a  large  part  of  that  of  the  dia- 
mond-fields and  the  interior  now  passes  through  Port  Elizabeth. 
Wool  and  ostrich-feathers  are  the  most  valuable  products,  the 
exportation  of  which  has  been  the  chief  source  of  wealth  to  the 
colony. 

Port  Elizabeth  is  not  a  sheltered  harbor,  but  merely  an  exposed 
roadstead,  in  which  many  vessels  have  been  wrecked,  and  where 
none  can  lie  in  perfect  safety.  But  the  enterprising  citizens  have 
endeavored  to  remedy  this  by  making  an  artificial  harbor,  which 
as  now  proposed  will  be  a  very  remarkable  work,  if  at  all  success- 
ful. The  plan  proposed  has  the  sanction  of  the  celebrated  Eng- 
lish engineer.  Sir  John  Goode,  and  consists  of  an  open  iron  viaduct 
to  run  out  to  an  enclosed  outer  harbor,  three  thousand  feet  from 
the  shore,  where  fifty  vessels  could  lie  in  safety  alongside  the 
quays.  This  scheme  reads  well  on  paper,  and  a  little  model  in  a 
glass  case,  with  toy  ships  quietly  glued  on  a  painted  sea,  is  an  or- 
nament in  the  commercial  reading-rooms,  but  the  construction  and 
maintenance  of  su«h  a  work  is  very  doubtful,  wellnigh  impossible, 
considering  the  great  expense.  The  energy  and  enterprise  of  the 
inhabitants  is  like  that  of  an  American  city ;  and,  wishing  them 
every  success,  we  are  confident  that  they  will  eventually  overcome 
all  obstacles  in  the  way  of  making  a  good  harbor,  no  matter  how 
diflBcult  it  may  seem.  During  our  stay  of  two  days  in  that  port 
the  people  evinced  every  desire  to  extend  a  hospitable  welcome. 
A  number  of  the  most  prominent  people  called,  and  great  regrets 
were  expressed  at  our  short  stay.  The  "  Pensacola"  stopped 
there  about  two  weeks  on  her  way  homeward  bound,  from  the 
Pacific  Station,  and  her  officers  were  eloquent  in  their  praises  of 
the  good  people  of  Port  Elizabeth. 


242  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

THE   HOTTENTOT  CLICKS. 

Upon  a  visit  to  the  South  African  Public  Library  at  Cape 
Town,  Dr.  Theophilus  Hahn  gave  the  following  sketch  of  the 
results  of  the  researches  upon  the  languages  of  South  African 
natives : 

One  of  the  greatest  peculiarities  of  the  Hottentot  races  of 
South  Africa  consists  of  certain  click  sounds  in  their  speech, 
which  distinguishes  them  from  all  other  people  in  the  world.  In 
the  history  of  the  world  the  different  peoples  have  been  variously 
classified  as  Jews  and  Gentiles,  Romans  or  barbarians,  white  or 
colored,  etc.,  but  the  Hottentots  differ  from  all  in  the  very  first 
principles  of  language.  Words  are  formed  by  combination  of 
articulate  sounds,  called  vowels,  with  consonants.  The  Hottentots 
have  the  same  vowels,  as  a  e  i  o  u,  and  similar  consonants,  which 
are  formed  by  the  lips,  tongue,  and  teeth  in  different  positions  as 
with  us,  except  that  they  breathe  in  where  we  breathe  out.  For 
example :  to  form  the  letter  b  we  place  the  lips  together  and 
breathe  out  as  the  mouth  is  opened,  whereas  the  Hottentots  form 
the  consonants  by  placing  the  lips  in  the  same  position  and  then 
breathe  in.  We  make  the  sound  of  the  letter  t  by  placing  the 
tongue  against  the  rear  of  the  front  teeth  and  breathing  out ;  the 
Hottentots  place  the  tongue  in  the  same  position  and  breathe  in, 
making  the  sound  which  we  often  use  to  express  pity.  This  ac- 
tion of  breathing  in  causes  click  sounds,  which  we  oflen  make  use 
of,  one  of  the  most  general  being  that  which  is  used  by  all  people 
in  driving  horses.  The  Hottentots  must,  therefore,  be  the  descend- 
ants of  a  peculiar  isolated  family,  a  race  who  started  to  use  a 
spoken  language  in  a  totally  different  manner  from  all  others  in 
the  world. 

We  can  only  mention  this  curious  fact,  but  the  student  would 
find  the  details  of  Hottentot  language  full  of  curious  features,  and 
many  valuable  historic  facts  are  being  constantly  brought  to  light 
in  regard  to  them  and  other  inhabitants  of  Africa. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  243 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Voyage  around  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  Cape  Town — Promotion  of  Rear- 
Admiral  Phelps — Courtesy  of  the  English  at  Cape  Town — Reception  by 
the  OflScers — Dr.  Holub's  Exploring  Expedition — The  Vineyard  at  High 
Constantia — The  Beautiful  Silver- Tree — General  Description  of  South 
Africa — History  of  the  African  States — The  Transvaal  Boers — The  Boer 
War  and  Inglorious  Defeat  of  the  British  at  Laing's  Neck — The  Zulu  War 
— Cetewayo's  Capture  and  Exile. 

We  remained  at  Port  Elizabeth  until  five  P.M.,  Thursday, 
March  13.  During  our  short  stay  of  two  days  at  anchor  in  the 
roadstead,  the  ship  rolled  considerably  to  a  long  swell  from  the 
southeast.  There  seems  to  be  something  quite  remarkable  in  the 
character  of  this  heavy  swell,  which  varies  in  extent  from  time 
to  time  from  no  apparent  cause.  Indications  would  often  lead  one 
to  suppose  that  a  heavy  gale  was  or  had  been  prevailing  off  the 
coast,  but  this  swell  is  probably  due  to  the  action  of  strong  con- 
flicting currents,  the  contour  of  the  coast  at  Algoa  Bay  causing 
the  regular  tidal  currents  to  meet  the  Indian  Ocean  currents 
at  such  an  angle  that  the  opposing  forces  create  great  surface 
disturbance. 

We  received  a  few  stores  and  about  fifty  tons  of  coal,  but  our 
stay  was  quite  uneventful.  Those  who  had  an  opportunity  to  visit 
the  town  were  very  much  pleased  with  it ;  the  Madagascar  cruise 
having  prepared  us  to  appreciate  in  a  high  degree  the  blessings 
enjoyed  by  an  enlightened  community.  Our  consul,  Mr.  J.  W. 
Philip,  called,  and  the  officers  received  cordial  invitations  to  ac- 
cept the  hospitality  of  the  Port  Elizabeth  Club,  where  delight- 
fully cool  reading-rooms  afforded  them  the  much-desired  oppor- 
tunity of  learning  what  events  had  transpired  in  our  long  absence 
from  the  rest  of  the  civilized  world. 


244  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

We  proceeded  along  the  coast  around  Cape  Agulhas,  experi- 
encing moderate  winds,  smooth  sea,  and  pleasant  weather  until 
Saturday  afternoon,  when  it  commenced  to  rain.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  describe  how  hard  it  poured  down,  but  it  did  not  last 
long,  for  soon  after  sighting  the  light  on  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
at  8.30  P.M.  the  weather  cleared,  and  the  moon  came  out  from  be- 
hind the  blackest  clouds  with  great  brilliancy,  seemingly  to  greet 
OS  with  a  good  hope  for  our  returning  voyage. 

At  daylight  the  next  morning  the  familiar  landmarks  of  Table 
Bay  came  in  sight,  and  at  nine  A.M.  we  quietly  anchored  in  the 
harbor,  almost  in  the  same  spot  we  had  left  four  months  before. 
We  had  scarcely  anchored  when  the  fleecy  cloth  was  spread  on 
Table  Mountain,  as  if  to  symbolize  the  hospitable  feelings  of  the 
people.  We  recognized  an  old  acquaintance  in  the  southeaster 
which  blew  over  the  mountain's  precipitous  sides ;  but  we  imme- 
diately sent  down  topgallant-masts,  veered  to  a  long  scope  on  our 
best  bower,  and,  backed  by  the  starboard  anchor,  safely  rode  out 
the  furious  blast. 

We  received  an  immense  mail  that  afternoon.  There  had  been 
but  one  opportunity  for  forwarding  our  mail  to  us  since  we  had 
left  Cape  Town  last  November,  and  a  great  deal  of  mail  had  accu- 
mulated at  the  consulate  during  our  absence.  In  this  mail  the 
commander-in-chief  received  a  telegram  from  the  Honorable  Sec- 
retary of  the  Navy  informing  him  that  the  President  had,  by  and 
with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate,  promoted  him  to  the 
grade  of  rear-admiral  in  the  navy,  to  date  from  March  1,  1884. 

At  colors  the  next  day,  March  17,  we  hoisted  the  admiral's  flag 
at  the  mizzen,  and  in  accordance  with  the  navy  regulations  fired  a 
salute  of  thirteen  guns.  The  battery  at  "  The  Castle"  also  saluted 
the  admiral's  flag  immediately  afterwards.  At  nine  A.M.  we  got 
under  way  and  hauled  the  ship  into  the  outer  basin  of  the  Alfred 
Docks,  and  secured  with  stern  lines  to  the  breakwater  quay  and 
chains  to  buoy ;  so  that  the  moorings  and  the  lee  afforded  by  the 
docks  gave  a  perfectly  safe  berth  for  all  kinds  of  weather. 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  245 

The  next  day  H.  B.  M.  S.  "  Opal"  came  into  the  harbor  and 
saluted  the  admiral  with  thirteen  guns.  This  was  a  very  conjpli- 
mentary  act  of  courtesy,  as  the  "  Opal"  came  round  from  Simon's 
Town,  the  British  naval  station  of  the  Cape,  for  this  special  pur- 
pose. The  usual  visits  were  exchanged  between  the  admiral, 
Captain  Weaver,  and  Captain  Brooke,  commanding  the  "  Opal." 

Naval  Cadet  R.  B.  Higgins  was  detached  on  March  19,  and 
ordered  to  proceed  to  the  Naval  Academy  for  final  examination 
with  the  rest  of  his  class,  only  the  first  ten  of  whom  will  be  re- 
tained in  the  service.  Mr.  Higgins  took  passage  in  the  Union 
Royal  Mail  steamer  "  Moor,"  and  probably  reached  Annapolis 
about  the  latter  part  of  April. 

At  one  P.M.,  Thuraday,  March  20,  the  commander-in-chief  and 
personal  staff  made  an  official  visit  to  the  administrator,  Lieu- 
tenant-G-eneral  the  Honorable  Sir  Leicester  Smyth,  at  the  Govern- 
ment House.  The  following  account  of  this  visit  appeared  in  the 
Cape  Town  Evening  Express : 

"Shortly  after  noon  to-day  Admiral  Phelps,  accompanied  by 
Captain  Weaver,  Flag-Lieutenant  Phelps,  Lieutenant  Hunker,  and 
Ensign  Ripley,  aide-de-camp,  arrived  at  the  central  wharf  in  one 
of  the  '  Brooklyn's'  boats.  As  soon  as  the  admiral  landed  he  was 
met  by  Mr.  Siler,  consul  for  the  United  States  of  America.  The 
admiral,  in  company  with  Mr.  Siler,  Captain  Weaver,  and  Flag- 
Lieutenant  Phelps,  proceeded  in  a  carriage  to  Government  House, 
Lieutenant  Hunker  and  Ensign  Ripley  following  in  another  car- 
riage. A  salute  of  thirteen  guns  was  fired  from  "  The  Castle."  A 
company  of  the  Fifty-eighth  Regiment,  under  Captains  Compton 
and  Jopp,  were  at  the  central  wharf  as  guard  of  honor.  The  band 
of  the  Fifty-eighth  Regiment,  under  Bandmaster  Moran,  was  also 
present,  and  played  '  Hail  Columbia'  when  the  admiral  stepped 
out  of  his  boat.  Sub-Inspector  Elliott,  with  several  members  of 
the  police  force,  were  present  to  keep  the  crowd  back,  as  also 
Mr.  Shaw,  commissioner  of  police." 

The  boilers  needed  scaling,  and  during  our  stay  the  engineer's 


246  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

department  removed  six  tons  of  scale  from  them  and  overhauled 
the  valves  and  machinery.  Advantajre  was  taken  of  this  oppor- 
tanity  for  giving  all  hands  general  liberty,  and  none  were  deprived 
of  the  privilege  of  having  a  little  recreation.  The  ship  was 
thronged  with  visitors,  especially  on  Sunday  afternoons,  and  the 
people  generally  extended  the  luost  cordial  hospitality  to  all. 

Lieutcnant-Qeneral  the  Honorable  Sir  Leicester  and  Lady 
Smyth  were  at  home  at  "  The  Vineyard"  at  Newlands,  where  they 
entertained  the  admiral  and  his  personal  staff  at  luncheon,  and 
also  Captain  Weaver,  Lieutenant  Beehler,  and  Mr.  Alexander,  at 
dinner,  which  they  enjoyed  very  much.  The  oflScers  of  the  Royal 
Artillery  at  "  The  Castle"  and  of  the  Fifty-eighth  Regiment  of 
the  line  were  very  courteous,  and  frequently  visited  the  officers  of 
the  ship,  who  in  turn  were  always  heartily  welcomed  at  the  regi- 
mental mess.  The  officers  made  a  great  many  friends,  and  in  fact 
began  to  feel  and  act  as  if  this  was  one  of  our  own  ports. 

On  March  27  the  steamer  "  Mexican"  arrived  from  London 
with  the  governor  of  Cape  Colony,  Sir  Hercules  Robinson,  who 
relieved  the  administrator,  Lieutenant-General  Smyth.  The  event 
occasioned  a  military  parade  to  receive  the  governor,  and  a  salute 
of  seventeen  guns  was  fired  upon  his  landing.  Admiral  Phelps, 
Captain  Weaver,  and  staff  called  upon  His  Excellency  on  the 
Monday  following,  March  31,  which  vbit  the  governor  returned 
on  Thursday,  April  10. 

The  Dutch  unarmored  cruiser  "  Atjeh"  amved  in  port  on 
March  30,  homeward  bound  from  Batavia.  This  vessel  is  of  con- 
siderable interest  as  being  one  of  the  first  of  modern  fast  cruisers. 
She  is  armed  with  six  17-centimetre  and  four  12-centimetre 
Knipp  breech-loading  rifles.  She  has  made  a  speed  of  fourteen 
and  a  half  knots,  but  generally  steams  at  eight  knots,  and  with 
full  power  hardly  makes  over  twelve.  She  has  recessed  ports  in 
the  bow  and  stem  for  pivots,  the  other  eight  guns  being  mounted 
in  broadside.  Her  hull  is  of  iron,  sheathed  with  wood,  and  ex- 
ternally resembles  a  merchant  steamer  in  that  her  sides  are  smooth 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  247 

and  have  no  spare  spars,  chain-plates,  nor  box-chutes.  She  was 
built  in  1879,  and  was  returning  home  from  a  cruise  in  the 
East  Indies.  The  usual  visits  were  exchanged  with  customary 
naval  ceremony.  The  Dutch  consul,  Mr.  Myburgh,  gave  a  very 
handsome  entertainment  to  the  oflScers  of  the  "  Atjeh,"  at  which 
the  oflScers  of  the  "  Brooklyn"  and  the  English  regiments  were 
cordially  invited  to  assist.  This  was  a  very  pleasant  affair,  and 
took  place  the  evening  before  the  "  Atjeh's"  departure  for  Hol- 
land. 

On  Tuesday,  April  1,  a  cablegram  was  received,  announcing 
the  sudden  death  of  Leopold,  Duke  of  Albany,  the  youngest  son 
of  the  Queen  of  England.  The  news  spread  rapidly,  and  we  half- 
masted  our  colors,  as  did  all  other  vessels  in  the  harbor,  in  token 
of  our  sympathy  with  the  English  people  in  their  bereavement. 
Before  this  occurred  the  officers  had  proposed  to  give  a  reception 
on  board  ship  to  express  their  appreciation  of  the  kind  hospitality 
which  the  people  of  Cape  Town  had  extended,  and  the  day  was 
fixed  for  the  Saturday  following,  but  out  of  respect  to  the  death 
of  the  Duke  of  Albany  it  was  postponed  until  after  the  burial. 

Accordingly  invitations  to  a  reception  by  Admiral  Phelps,  Cap- 
tain Weaver,  and  the  officers,  for  Monday,  April  7,  from  two  to 
five  P.M.,  were  sent  to  all  their  friends.  The  morning  was  cloudy 
and  rainy,  but  it  cleared  off  by  noon,  after  which  it  was  delight- 
fully cool.  The  officers  were  assigned  to  different  duties  and  did 
their  utmost  to  insure  a  pleasant  afternoon.  The  deck  was  very 
prettily  decorated  with  an  effective  arrangement  of  flags  and  bunt- 
ing to  line  the  awnings  and  curtain  the  rail,  the  guns  were  set  off 
by  bouquets  of  flowers,  and  the  cabins  arranged  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  guests.  The  wardroom  and  steerage  were  set  apart  for 
refreshments,  for  which  purpose  the  services  of  the  celebrated 
caterer,  M.  Wronsky,  of  the  Parliament  Caf&,  were  called  into 
requisition  to  assist  the  regular  servants,  with  highly  gratifying 
results.  The  band  occupied  the  port  gangway,  and  contributed  a 
great  deal  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  guests  by  their  excellent  music. 


248  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Our  boats  were  sent  to  the  Clock  Tower  wharf,  and  brought  the 
guestA  oflF  to  the  ship  as  they  carae  down ;  and  the  reception  com- 
mittee received  and  conducted  them  to  the  cabins,  after  presenting 
them  to  the  admiral  and  Mrs.  Siler,  the  wife  of  the  United  States 
consul,  who  had  kindly  consented  to  receive  for  us. 

The  governor,  Sir  Hercules  Robinson,  sent  his  regrets  because 
of  a  recent  death  in  the  family ;  but  Lieutenant-General  Smyth 
represented  him,  and  came  on  board  at  2.30  P.M.  with  Lady 
Smyth  and  his  aide-de-camp.  When  the  barge  approached  with 
the  general,  the  marine  guard  formed  on  the  quarter-deck  and  the 
prescribed  naval  ceremonies  were  observed.  When  they  came 
over  the  side  the  guard  came  to  present  arms,  the  drum  gave  three 
rolls,  and  the  band  played  "  God  Save  the  Queen,"  after  which 
the  party  proceeded  into  the  admiral's  cabin,  Lady  Smyth  and 
the  general  being  escorted  there  by  the  admiral  and  Captain 
Weaver,  by  whom  they  were  duly  presented  to  Mrs.  Siler.  The 
guests  included  about  three  hundred  of  the  most  prominent  people 
in  Cape  Town  and  vicinity,  among  whom  there  were  the  consuls 
of  different  nations  and  their  families,  officers  and  ladies  from 
**  The  Castle"  and  belonging  to  the  English  regiments,  naval  offi- 
cers, including  Captain  Penfold,  captain  of  the  port,  members  of 
the  civil  service,  Mr.  Finlay  and  family,  superintendent  of  the 
Cape  Observatory,  and  the  leading  professional  men,  bankers,  and 
merchants  with  their  families.  One  and  all  seemed  to  enjoy  their 
visit  to  the  ship,  and  everything  passed  off  so  pleasantly  that  many 
remained  until  after  sunset. 

The  same  ceremonies  were  observed  when  the  general  left  as 
upon  his  arrival,  and  while  the  guard  was  standing  at  present 
arms  and  the  band  playing  the  English  national  hymn,  the  scene 
on  the  quarter-deck  was  a  very  pretty  picture.  The  decorations, 
flowers,  and  the  fine  soldierly  appearance  of  the  guard,  surrounded 
by  the  beauty  and  grace  of  the  ladies,  was  a  combination  which 
will  not  be  forgotten  by  those  present. 

When  the  band  finished,  the  general  stepped  up  and  paid  a 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  249 

handsome  compliment  to  the  fine  appearance  of  the  marines.  This 
unusual  act  of  courtesy  expressed  volumes  in  behalf  of  the  popu- 
lar general.  For  this  little  act,  which  was  intended  to  reflect 
credit  on  the  ship,  proved  him  a  most  considerate  gentleman,  and 
no  wonder  he  was  such  a  very  great  favorite  among  the  people  of 
Cape  Colony. 

DR.  HOLUB'S  SOUTH  AFRICAN   EXPLORING   EXPEDITION. 

Saturday,  April  5,  we  visited  the  Commercial  Exchange,  where 
Dr.  Holub  had  an  exhibition  of  his  outfit  for  a  journey  of  explora- 
tion to  Central  Africa  through  the  Orange  Free  State,  Transvaal, 
and  into  the  unknown  territory  of  Central  Africa  to  the  north- 
ward. Dr.  Holub  has  made  a  profession  of  this  subject,  and  a 
general  description  of  his  system  and  outfit  cannot  fail  to  be  in- 
teresting, especially  to  us  in  connection  with  our  cruise  in  com- 
paratively unfrequented  waters.  Dr.  Holub  has  been  engaged  in 
explorations  of  different  lands  for  many  years,  but  this  was  to  be 
the  most  extensive  yet  undertaken.  He  had  devoted  several  years 
to  study  and  preparation  at  Prague  and  Vienna,  in  order  to  famil- 
iarize himself  with  all  that  is  known  about  Central  Africa,  and 
obtain  all  the  requisites  for  a  thoroughly  scientific  expedition. 

He  arrived  at  Cape  Town  early  in  January,  but  was  delayed 
by  unforeseen  difficulties,  among  which  the  payment  of  colonial 
duties  upon  the  articles  of  his  outfit  was  the  most  vexatious. 
This  left  him  rather  short  of  funds,  and  the  exhibition  of  this 
outfit,  at  a  small  charge  for  admission,  was  tried  as  a  means  of 
raising  some  money  to  defray  expenses.  In  passing  we  should 
note  that  money  for  such  enterprises  comes  from  the  liberality  of 
large-minded  people  who  are  interested  in  scientific  research  which 
will  benefit  the  whole  human  race,  and  who,  as  a  rule,  encourage 
these  enterprises  out  of  the  best  possible  motives  to  do  good. 

The  most  prominent  feature  in  the  collection  of  articles  com- 
prising this  outfit  was  an  iron  whale-boat  in  the  centre  of  the 
room,  resting  on  a  carriage,  showing  how  the  boat  is  transported 


250  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

overland.  This  boat  was  admirably  fitted  up  with  all  kinds  of 
fishing-tackle,  nets,  approved  forms  of  spears  for  spearing  fish  in 
clear  water,  trawls,  and  other  instruments  for  thorough  investiga- 
tion of  the  streams  which  the  party  might  visit  in  their  journey. 
At  one  end  of  the  room  there  was  a  pile  of  note-books,  classified 
for  different  branches  of  research  in  the  animal,  vegetable,  and 
mineral  kingdoms.  Dr.  Holub's  party  consisted  of  himself  and  wife 
and  eight  assistants,  each  of  whom  was  a  specialist  in  some  one  of 
the  different  branches  of  natural  science.  Parties  of  natives  were 
to  be  employed  occasionally  as  circumstances  should  require,  but  to 
have  nothing  to  do  with  the  scientific  collections.  The  note-books 
were  to  be  used  by  the  party  for  reference,  as  each  book  contained 
full  descriptions  of  all  known  varieties  of  insect  and  animal  life, 
the  flora,  and  all  forms  of  vegetable  life,  and  the  minerals.  On 
the  journey  everything  was  to  be  thoroughly  examined  and  com- 
pared with  these  books  of  reference.  In  case  of  any  well-known 
species,  the  fact  of  its  existence  in  that  locality  was  to  be  noted, 
and,  if  unknown,  a  thorough  description  to  be  entered  in  the  notes, 
and  the  object  itself,  if  possible,  stored  away  in  the  collection  for 
further  study  after  the  journey. 

The  armory  occupied  one  corner,  and  comprised  about  a  dozen 
different  kinds  of  breech-loading  rifles  and  fowling-pieces.  This 
feature  was  open  to  criticism,  because  the  different  kinds  of  weapons 
necessitate  different  kinds  of  ammunition,  and  they  ran  the  risk 
of  confusion  in  this  respect,  which  may  occur  at  a  critical  time 
and  result  in  disaster.  Most  of  the  arms  were  presents  from  prom- 
inent men,  and  this  accounts  for  the  different  varieties.  He  had 
no  Hotchkiss  magazine-rifles,  which  would  be  especially  advanta- 
geous, and  in  view  of  the  large  amount  of  stores  and  their  great 
value,  a  Gatling-gun  would  not  have  been  amiss ;  these,  with  fowling- 
pieces,  would  have  been  a  much  more  eflBcient  armament  than  the 
mixed  assortment  he  had. 

The  bulk  of  the  outfit  consisted  of  articles  for  barter  and 
presents  to  native  chiefs,  by  which  the  party  obtained  provisions 


THE   CRUISE  OF   THE  BROOKLYN.  251 

and  protection  in  their  journey.  They  comprised  a  very  large 
assortment  of  all  kinds  of  articles,  among  which  were  elegant 
bronzes,  statuettes,  mirrors  in  Russia-leather  cases,  Bohemian 
glass-ware,  silver-plated  ware  of  all  descriptions,  silks,  embroidery, 
fancy-colored  prints,  cretonne,  chintz,  velvets,  highly-colored 
dry  goods  of  all  kinds,  some  of  considerable  value,  clocks,  cheap 
watches,  cheap  Parisian  jewelry,  beads  of  all  kinds,  photographs, 
meerschaum-pipes,  musical  instruments  of  different  kinds,  and  in 
general  a  complete  assortment  of  articles  which  may  be  found 
in  the  fashionable  retail  shops  of  large  cities.  We  were  aston- 
ished to  find  such  a  fine  collection  of  objects  for  trade  and  presents 
to  negro  chiefs ;  their  amazement  at  some  of  these  things  can  be 
imagined,  and  doubtless  they  have  secured  the  friendly  assistance 
of  all  the  natives  they  met,  provided  sufficient  precautions  were 
taken  to  prevent  their  savage  greed  from  exciting  them  to  destroy 
the  whole  party. 

After  reaching  the  frontier  of  civilization  Dr.  Holub's  outfit 
was  reduced  to  six  tons  of  freight,  which  was  transported  in  the 
typical  South  African  wagons,  each  drawn  by  eight  yoke  of  oxen. 
The  convoy  covered  about  a  mile,  and  their  encampments  on  the 
plains  resembled  a  large  village. 

Dr.  Holub  was  especially  courteous  to  all  visitors  to  the  exhi- 
bition, and  whenever  he  enumerated  the  qualifications  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  expedition  spoke  in  highest  terms  of  his  wife,  who,  be- 
sides attending  to  their  domestic  comfort  as  only  woman  can,  is  an 
excellent  shot  with  a  rifle,  and  not  only  knows  how  to  cook  the 
game,  but  is  also  an  expert  taxidermist.  He  explained  every  detail 
of  his  expedition  with  a  great  deal  of  pains,  and  was  pleased  with 
all  who  manifested  any  interest  in  his  work. 

A  VISIT  TO  MR.  VAN  REENEN'S  VINEYARD   AT  HIGH  CON- 

STANTIA. 

Friday,  March  28,  a  party  of  the  officers  of  this  ship  were 
handsomely  entertained  by  Mr.  Van  Reenen  at  bis  vineyard  at 


252  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Hiph  Constantia,  a  few  miles  out  of  Cape  Town.  A  stylish  drag 
drawD  by  four  handsome  iron-gray  horses  conveyed  the  party  over 
a  beautiful  road  to  the  vineyard.  Every  one  was  in  good  spirits, 
and  jokes  were  cracked  in  unison  with  the  whip,  as  they  sped  along 
through  the  charming  rural  scenery.  Here  and  there  trees  were 
seen,  without  backstays,  bent  over  by  the  wind,  each  recording 
in  its  growth  the  violence  of  the  gales,  and  suggesting  another 
reef  to  the  minds  of  the  weather-beaten  sailors.  Most  of  the  old 
houses  have  Dutch-thatched  roofs,  of  mediaeval  character,  soft  and 
smooth  as  plush,  and  highly  suggestive  of  home  comforts,  to  which 
those  who  "  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships"  are,  for  the  time  being, 
such  strangers. 

How  to  express  the  admiration  of  the  scenery  would  almost 
baffle  a  poet,  and  as  man  prizes  most  that  which  he  can  rarely 
obtain,  so  our  party  simply  feasted  with  their  eyes  upon  the  road- 
side pines,  eucalyptus-trees,  oaks  and  firs,  which,  overlapping  over- 
head, seemed  a  canopy  of  verdure  of  bewitching  beauty.  It  did 
not  seem  possible  that  it  was  twelve  miles,  the  drive  was  so 
quickly  done,  and  yet  it  took  over  one  hour  and  thirty  minutes. 
But  no  mistake,  we  were  at  High  Constantia,  and  entering  the 
enclosure,  the  drag  stopped  in  front  of  Mr.  Van  Reenen's  house, 
who  came  out  to  extend  a  most  cordial  welcome.  The  Messrs. 
Benjamin  also  came  forward,  and  the  party  were  soon  made  to 
feel  themselves  at  home.  None  can  forget  the  courteous  hospi- 
tality of  our  host,  and  how  carefully  he  explained  every  detail 
of  wine-culture  and  the  scientific  care  required  in  growing  the 
grape  and  making  the  wine. 

The  Constantia  wines  rank  among  the  best  in  the  world,  and 
their  reputation  in  Europe  has  been  very  high,  much  more  so  than 
Cape  Colonists,  who  disparage  their  own  produce,  credit.  Mr. 
Van  Reenen's  vineyard  is  the  oldest  in  the  colony,  having  been  in 
the  possession  of  hb  family  since  1660.  Its  locality  is  especially 
lovely  and  beggars  description.  In  the  background  the  Constantia 
hills  enclose  sloping  and  terraced  grounds  like  an  amphitheatre, 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  253 

bordered  with  beautiful  silver-trees,  whose  leaves  at  this  time  re- 
flected the  sunlight  to  spread  a  halo  over  all  the  enclosure.  The 
view  in  the  foreground  over  the  vineyard  was  strikingly  beautiful, 
with  the  contrast  of  color  of  the  different  species  of  vines,  the  dark, 
red,  and  brown  Pontac  separated  from  the  pea-green  and  yellow 
Stein  and  Constantia  vines  by  the  deep  olive  fir-hedges,  which 
bordered  the  central  pathway  across  the  vineyard.  The  dwelling- 
house,  with  its  broad  verandas  and  air  of  comfort,  looked  especially 
inviting,  and  when  our  host  took  us  in  to  luncheon  we  found  sub- 
stantial evidence  of  the  excellence  of  the  good  things  at  Constantia. 
How  we  passed  the  Constantia  around  and  drank  the  health  of  our 
genial  host  can  be  imagined,  but  our  enjoyment  cannot  be  ex- 
pressed. The  ice-cream  watermelon,  grown  from  seed  from  the 
States,  was  as  mellow  as  the  guests,  and  gave  our  host  a  chance 
to  testify  his  admiration  for  the  produce  of  American  origin,  while 
we  were  enjoying  that  of  Constantia. 

After  luncheon  we  visited  the  wine-press,  where  our  host  ex- 
plained the  process  of  wine-making.  Mr.  Van  Reenen  had  sixty 
acres  under  cultivation  in  the  old  vineyard  and  forty  acres  out- 
side ;  the  soil  is  a  red  ochrous  loam  and  requires  but  little  ma- 
nure. The  vines  are  not  allowed  to  grow  to  any  height  or  to  bear 
a  large  quantity  of  grapes,  so  that  the  quality  of  the  wine  product 
may  not  be  impaired.  Three  thousand  vines  are  planted  to  the 
acre,  which  yield  twenty-four  thousand  pounds  of  grapes,  from 
which  they  obtain  twelve  leagers,  or  fifteen  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  gallons,  of  wine  every  year.  The  vines  have  to  be  carefully 
pruned  at  different  seasons,  and  the  original  root  is  lefl  in  the 
ground  for  many  years.  Most  of  the  bearing  vines  are  seventy 
years  old,  while  there  are  some  which  have  been  planted  over  one 
hundred  years.  The  grapes  are  collected  in  March  and  April, 
when  almost  in  the  condition  of  raisins,  so  that  the  vintage  is  like 
a  highly-esteemed  liqueur.  The  press  consists  of  a  large  tub,  in 
which  six  men  tread  the  grapes,  dancing  around  the  tub  and  sing- 
ing bacchanalian  songs,  while  the  juices  are  pressed  out  to  flow 

17 


254  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYK. 

from  the  bottom  into  a  wooden  pan,  whence  they  are  pumped  into 
a  large  wooden  vat.  There  is  no  machinery  used,  none  as  yet 
haying  been  devised  which  does  not  produce  an  inferior  quality 
of  wine,  the  pressure  of  the  human  foot  treading  in  the  press 
giving  the  best  results.  The  juices  ferment  in  the  vats,  where  the 
impurities  are  evaporated ;  the  sweet  wines  remain  in  them  about 
two  days,  the  dry  from  four  to  five  days,  after  which  they  are 
drawn  off  into  casks  and  sent  to  market.  After  the  grapes  are 
trod  in  the  wine-press  the  skins  and  stems  are  rubbed  over  a  cane 
sieve  to  collect  all  the  juices,  after  which  they  are  taken  to  boilers 
and  distilled  into  brandy. 

The  following  varieties  of  grapes  are  grown  at  High  Con- 
Btantia,  the  wines  produced  being  named  after  the  vineyard  and 
also  the  grape :  Pontac,  the  only  grape  which  produces  a  red  wine 
from  the  pulp  without  the  skin,  Stein,  Hermitage,  Chasselas 
blanc,  Riesslinger,  red  and  white  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  and  red 
and  white  Muscatel.  Champagne  has  been  produced  by  natural 
process  at  Constantia,  but  it  did  not  pay,  because  foreign  cham- 
pagnes were  preferred  by  consumers.  It  has  been  suggested  to 
make  it  artificially  by  impregnating  the  Constantia  wines  with 
carbonic  acid  gas,  which  would  be  cheaper,  while  equally  as 
good  as  any. 

We  returned  to  the  house  after  a  visit  to  the  garden  and  the 
"  eyry"  in  an  old  oak-tree,  whose  branches  had  grown  over  to 
enclose  the  wood-work  of  the  room,  exemplifying  the  fertility  of 
the  soil.  In  the  mean  time  our  drag  had  been  ordered,  and  with 
profuse  thanks  for  the  delightful  entertainment  we  reluctantly 
bade  adieu  to  our  kind  host  and  returned  to  the  ship. 

THE  SILVER-TREE. 

This  tree  is  called  in  botany  Leucodendron  argenteum,  mean- 
ing silvery-white  leaf.  It  grows  on  the  slopes  of  Table  Mountain 
to  about  thirty  feet  high,  with  branches  at  about  eight  feet  above 
the  ground.    It  bears  a  cone  similar  in  shape  and  size  to  the  pine- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  255 

cone.  These  cones  contain  small  round  black  seed  attached  to 
feathery  tufts,  by  which  they  are  disseminated.  The  leaves,  when 
pressed  and  dried,  are  very  beautiful  and  will  last  for  years.  They 
may  be  written  upon  and  painted  without  other  preparation. 
A  fac-simile  of  the  silver  leaf  embellishes  the  cover  of  this  book. 
The  tree  only  grows  near  Cape  Town.  It  will  not  thrive  when 
cultivated. 

SOUTH  AFRICA. 

The  cruise  in  the  eastern  waters  of  our  station  has  naturally 
awakened  considerable  interest  among  our  readers  to  know  some- 
thing more  definite  about  the  Dark  Continent,  and  more  especially 
that  part  whicb  we  visited. 

South  Africa  is  meant  to  include  all  the  territory  south  of  the 
Portuguese  possessions  on  the  east  and  west  coasts  of  Africa. 
That  is,  from  Delagoa  Bay,  in  the  province  of  Mozambique, 
around  Cape  Agulhas  to  the  Cunene  River,  which  forms  the  rec- 
ognized southern  boundary  of  the  Portuguese  possessions  on  the 
west  coast  of  Africa.  The  British  Cape  Colony  forms  the  south- 
em  part  of  this  territory,  its  boundary  on  the  north  being  the 
Orange  River,  which  separates  it  from  the  Trans-Gariep  territory, 
a  little-known  and  but  partially-explored  country,  extending  north- 
ward to  the  southern  boundary  of  the  Portuguese  possessions  on 
the  west  coast. 

The  province  of  Griqualand  West  is  a  part  of  the  Cape  Colony, 
and  lies  north  of  the  Orange  River,  between  the  22d  and  25th 
meridians  of  east  longitude.  This  province  contains  the  famous 
Kimberly  diamond-fields.  The  Orange  Free  State  lies  east  of 
this  province  and  north  of  the  Orange  River.  The  Transvaal 
State  is  north  of  the  Orange  Free  State,  from  which  it  is  separated 
by  the  Vaal  River.  On  the  east  coast  Cape  Colony  is  bounded  by 
KafFraria,  which  extends  from  the  Great  Kei  River  to  the  colony 
of  Natal,  and  into  the  interior  to  the  Drakensberg  Mountains. 
Basutoland  lies  between  Kaffraria  and  the  Orange  Free  State,  all 


266  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

three  of  which  states  are  bounded  on  the  north  and  east  by  Natal. 
Natal  extends  on  the  coast  to  the  Tugela  River,  which  forms  its 
boundary  with  Zululand.  Zululand  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
the  province  of  Mozambique  and  west  by  the  Transvaal  State. 
The  geography  of  the  states  of  South  Africa  thus  gives  the  fol- 
lowing as  the  order  of  the  states  from  Delagoa  Bay  to  Cunene 
River,  viz. :  Zululand,  Natal,  Transvaal,  Orange  Free  State,  Basu- 
toland,  Kaffraria,  Cape  Colony,  the  Trans-Gariep,  and  the  country 
of  the  Betchuanas,  north  of  Griqualand  West. 

The  province  of  Griqualand  West  was  annexed  to  the  Cape 
Colony  in  October,  1880.  Its  representation  in  the  Colonial  Par- 
liament is  one  member  in  the  legislative  council  and  six  members 
in  the  house  of  assembly.  This  province  is  important  because  it 
contains  the  diamond-fields.  When  the  diamondiferous  region 
was  discovered  the  country  was  under  the  government  of  the 
Orange  Free  State,  but  really  belonged  to  the  native  Griqua  chief 
named  Waterboer.  The  great  rush  to  the  diamond-fields  necessi- 
tated a  stronger  government  than  could  be  maintained  by  either 
Waterboer  or  the  Free  State,  and  the  British  flag  was  hoisted  in 
1871.  The  digging  population  objected  to  the  British  adminis- 
tration, and  troops  had  to  be  sent  there  to  enforce  order.  The 
claims  of  the  Free  State  to  the  territory  were  disposed  of  in  1870 
by  a  special  convention,  in  accordance  with  which  the  Free  State 
abandoned  all  claims  to  the  territory  for  the  sum  of  ninety  thou- 
sand pounds,  which  was  paid  by  the  British  government ;  but  the 
objection  of  the  European  settlers  and  uprisings  among  the  natives 
delayed  the  final  annexation  until  1880. 

The  Kimberly  and  De  Beer's  diamond  mines  (the  two  largest 
mines)  belong  to  the  British  government,  having  been  bought 
from  private  companies  for  the  sum  of  one  hundred  thousand 
pounds.  The  other  two  well-known  mines — Du  Toits  Pan  and 
Bultfontein — belong  to  the  London  and  South  African  Explora- 
tion Company.  But  the  ownership  of  the  precious  stones  found 
on  these  two  farms  has  been  the  subject  of  a  great  deal  of  litiga- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  267 

tion  in  the  courts.  The  peculiar  nature  of  these  diamond-finds 
has  caused  stringent  laws  to  be  enforced.  Ten  years  hard  labor 
on  the  breakwater  at  Cape  Town  is  a  common  penalty  for  illicit 
diamond-buying,  commonly  called  I.  D.  B. 

The  province  of  Griqualand  West  has  an  area  of  seventeen 
thousand  eight  hundred  square  miles,  and  in  1877  had  a  popula- 
tion of  forty-four  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy-seven,  of 
whom  twelve  thousand  three  hundred  and  seventy-four  were  Euro- 
peans or  whites,  and  the  rest  natives, — Hottentots,  Kaffirs,  etc. 
The  country  is  not  very  fertile,  but  could  be  made  so  by  artificial 
irrigation. 

THE  TBANS-QAKIEP. 

This  unexplored  country  on  the  west  coast  north  of  the  Orange 
River  is  still  held  by  the  natives.  In  1876  the  government  of 
the  Cape  Colony  sent  a  special  commissioner  to  the  natives  to  ex- 
plain the  advantages  and  benefits  they  would  derive  by  becoming 
British  subjects.  The  Cape  Colony  has  certain  commercial  deal- 
ings, and  this  mission  was  undertaken  in  order  to  anticipate  the 
threatened  formation  of  a  new  republic  by  emigrant  Boers  from 
the  Transvaal  Republic,  and  also  to  prevent  any  other  European 
power  from  getting  a  footing  in  the  territory.  Nothing  definite 
has  as  yet  been  accomplished  in  the  negotiation  for  inducing  the 
Damaras,  as  the  natives  are  called,  to  accept  British  protection. 
The  British  have,  however,  taken  possession  of  Walwich  Bay  as 
a  regular  port,  where  they  have  established  a  custom-house  and 
magistracy.  There  are  but  one  hundred  and  fifty  Europeans  or 
whites  in  this  unknown  country,  while  the  natives  are  roughly 
estimated  at  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 

KAFFRABIA. 

This  is  Kaffirland  property.  It  is  a  fertile  and  densely  popu- 
lated country  on  the  east  coast,  between  Natal  and  the  Cape 
Colony.  Its  area  is  about  seventeen  thousand  square  miles,  and 
its  population  is  estimated  at  about  four  hundred  and  fifly  thou- 


258  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

sand.  This  country  was  ruled  by  a  number  of  native  chiefs, 
principally  Bushmen,  until  they  were  driven  out  by  various  races 
from  the  north.  The  country  has  been  subject  to  British  infiu 
ence,  and  parts  of  it  have,  within  the  last  twelve  years,  been  par- 
celled out  among  different  tribes  and  races  of  Kaffirs,  Fingoes, 
Basutos,  Griquas,  Gaikas,  Zulus,  and  Hottentots.  The  whole 
territory  is  divided  into  four  districts, — Transkei,  Griqualand 
East,  Tembuland,  and  Pondoland.  All  of  these  except  the  last 
are  now  under  the  direct  authority  of  British  magistrates,  though 
the  native  chiefs  in  the  different  districts  exercise  their  tribal 
authority.  In  Pondoland  a  British  resident  magistrate  merely 
acts  as  a  sort  of  umpire  when  disputes  arise  between  different 
tribes.  White  men  are  not  allowed  to  settle  or  to  trade  with  the 
natives  in  the  reservations  of  Kaffirland. 

The  colonists  of  South  Africa  have  had  a  continual  war  with 
the  natives,  and  the  only  end  of  such  a  strife  must  be  in  the  ex- 
termination or  incorporation  of  these  tribes  with  the  settlers. 
The  "survival  of  the  fittest"  has  here  its  greatest  force;  the 
native  must  make  room  before  the  superior  intelligence  and  power 
of  the  white  colonists.  The  various  methods  of  state  policy  have 
been  tried  in  every  field  here,  as  with  our  Indians  in  the  United 
States.  Force  is  followed  by  humanitarian  measures,  and  this  by 
force  again,  each  doing  its  measure  of  the  work  of  incorporating 
and  breaking  up  the  tribal  characteristics,  until  the  savage  finds 
he  cannot  escape  the  influence  of  the  surrounding  civilization. 
The  reservation  of  Kaffraria  is  thus  gradually  becoming  more 
and  more  contracted,  and  fears  of  hostile  incursions  by  the  natives 
are  no  longer  entertained  in  this  vicinity. 

The  governor  of  Cape  Colony  also  holds  the  office  of  high  com- 
missioner, the  duties  of  which  require  him  to  exercise  a  jurisdic- 
tion over  all  questions  arising  between  the  native  reservations  of 
Kaffraria  and  the  adjacent  states  of  South  Africa. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  259 

BASUTOLAND. 

This  might  be  included  as  a  part  of  Kafiraria,  except  that  it 
has  been  regularly  annexed  as  a  province  of  the  Cape  Colony.  It 
adjoins  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Orange  Free  State,  and  lies 
west  of  Natal  and  northwest  of  Kafiraria.  The  Basutos  are  a 
tribe  of  Betchuanas  and  number  about  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  thousand  souls.  They  have  carried  on  desperate  border 
wars  with  the  Orange  Free  State,  in  which  they  were  badly 
defeated,  and  when  reduced  to  the  last  extremity  put  themselves 
under  British  protection.  Peace  was  established  in  1869,  and 
in  1871  it  was  duly  annexed  to  the  Cape  Colony. 

All  these  states  are  in  the  course  of  being  absorbed  by  the 
Cape  Colony,  and  there  remain  for  our  consideration  Natal, 
Orange  Free  State,  Transvaal,  and  Zululand. 

NATAL. 

The  colony  of  Natal  has  a  coast-line  of  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  on  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  is  situated  directly  between 
the  native  states  of  Kafiraria  on  the  south  and  Zululand  on  the 
north,  while  a  narrow  neck  of  territory  extends  up  in  the  north- 
western corner  to  border  on  the  Orange  Free  State  and  the  Trans- 
vaal. Natal  was  discovered  on  Christmas-day,  1497,  by  the  Por- 
tuguese, and  was  so  named  in  memory  of  that  circumstance. 
Neither  they  nor  the  Dutch,  who  subsequently  visited  it,  formed 
any  permanent  settlement  there.  It  was  visited  by  the  English 
in  1823,  who  found  it  in  possession  of  the  Zulus,  the  leader  of 
whom,  Dingaan,  murdered  the  previous  chief  and  became  king. 
He  invited  the  emigrant  Boers  from  the  Cape  Colony  to  visit  him 
at  his  "  Great  Place,"  in  the  Zulu  country,  in  1838,  and  then, 
after  having  signed  a  treaty  ceding  the  Natal  country  to  the  Boers, 
he  and  his  followers  fell  upon  his  guests  and  massacred  nearly 
every  one  of  them.  The  Zulus  simultaneously  attacked  the  Boers' 
camp,  and  six  hundred  Boer  men,  women,  and  children  perished 
in  Natal.    The  Boers  then  collected  in  force  and  routed  the  Zulus. 


260  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

They  installed  Panda,  a  brother  of  Dingaan,  as  chief  of  the  Zulus, 
while  they  became  masters  of  the  country  south  of  the  Tugela 
River.  In  1842,  after  a  resistance  from  the  emigrant  Boers, 
Natal  was  taken  possession  of  by  the  British  government,  and  in 
1855  was  proclaimed  a  district  of  the  Cape  Colony.  The  Zulu 
chief,  Panda,  died  in  1872,  and  his  son,  Cetewayo  (pronounced 
Ketch-wi'-o),  was  made  king  of  the  Zulus  by  Mr.  Shepstone,  Sec- 
retary for  Native  Affairs  in  Natal,  as  the  representative  of  the 
Queen  of  England.  The  career  of  this  famous  chieftain  is  given 
in  the  narrative  of  the  recent  Zulu  war. 

In  1875,  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  arrived  in  Natal  as  governor  of 
the  colony,  which  was  then  given  an  independent  colonial  govern- 
ment. A  legislature  was  established,  which,  after  a  series  of 
changes,  now  consists  of  thirty  members,  twenty-three  of  whom 
are  elected  by  the  people  of  Natal  and  seven  are  appointed  by  the 
British  government.  The  natives  are  governed  by  a  peculiar  na- 
tive law.  The  sale  of  fire-arms  and  powder  to  natives  is  strictly 
forbidden,  and  all  ammunition  is  imported  and  controlled  by  the 
government.  In  the  towns  no  colored  persons  are  allowed  to  be 
abroad  after  the  hour  of  nine  p.m.,  and  no  strange  natives  are 
allowed  to  remain  in  the  town  beyond  five  days  unless  they  are 
employed. 

The  climate  is  healthy,  though  almost  tropical  on  the  coast. 
The  census  of  1881  shows  that  there  were  400,676  inhabitants  in 
Natal,  of  whom  30,296  were  whites,  24,685  coolies  from  India, 
and  the  rest  natives.  There  are  three  railroads  in  the  colony, — 
one  along  the  south  coast,  one  north,  and  the  third,  a  main  trunk 
line  through  the  colony  to  the  northwest  corner,  where  it  will 
eventually  lead  up  by  branches  to  the  capitals  of  the  Orange  Free 
State  and  Transvaal.  The  wealth  of  the  colony  can  be  judged 
from  its  trade.  In  1882  the  value  of  the  imports  was  ten  million 
seven  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  dollars,  and  the  exports  two 
million  five  hundred  and  sixty-three  thousand  one  hundred  dollars. 
The  chief  articles  of  export  are  wool,  sugar,  hides,  ostrich-feathers, 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  261 

and  ivory.     Coffee,  cotton,  and  tobacco  have  been  cultivated,  but 
they  do  not  pay. 

The  city  of  Durban,  at  the  head  of  the  Bay  of  Natal,  is  a 
thriving  town  of  fourteen  thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty-nine 
inhabitants,  of  whom  seven  thousand  four  hundred  and  ninety- 
four  are  Europeans.  The  streets  are  well  lighted  and  in  good 
condition.  There  are  several  fine  buildings  in  the  town,  and 
others  in  course  of  erection.  The  harbor  is  bad  and  exposed  to 
heavy  southeast  gales.  The  telegraph-cable  from  Europe  via 
Suez  and  Mozambique  terminates  at  Durban. 

THE  OKANGE  FKEE  STATE. 

This  republic  lies  north  of  the  Orange  River,  which  separates  it 
from  the  Cape  Colony,  and  south  of  the  Vaal  River,  which  forms 
its  boundary  with  the  Transvaal  State.  This  country  was  settled 
by  the  "  trek"  Boers  of  1838,  who  were  dissatisfied  with  the 
British  government  in  the  Cape  Colony  and  with  the  consequences 
following  the  abolition  of  slavery.  The  emancipation  of  slavery 
in  the  Cape  Colony  was  enforced  by  the  British  government  with- 
out regard  to  the  state  of  the  crops  when  the  edict  reached  the 
colonists,  and  entailed  such  disastrous  consequences  that  the 
Dutch  farmers,  called  Boers,  "  trekked"  (emigrated)  to  new  fields 
where  they  might  enjoy  their  patriarchal  rule  undisturbed.  A 
part  of  these  Boer  "  trekkers"  settled  in  Natal,  and  were,  as  we 
have  seen,  again  subjected  to  British  rule ;  a  second  party  settled 
in  Transvaal,  where  they  triumphed  over  the  British  in  the  recent 
Boer  war ;  and  a  third  party  founded  the  Free  State,  which  has 
maintained  its  independence  ever  since. 

The  Orange  Free  State  contains  seventy-two  thousand  square 
miles,  and  in  1880  had  a  total  population  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty-four  thousand  five  hundred  and  thirteen,  of  whom  sixty- 
one  thousand  and  twenty-two  are  whites.  The  government  is  a 
republic ;  the  president  is  elected  for  the  term  of  five  years,  and 
the  congress,  called  "  Volksraad,"  is  composed  of  representatives 


262  'P^E  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

elected  for  four  years,  one-half  of  whom  are  elected  every  two 
years.  There  is  also  an  executive  council  of  five  members,  of 
which  the  president  is  chairman.  This  resembles  our  cabinet,  ex- 
cept that  with  the  council  the  president  has  much  more  power 
than  our  president  can  exercise. 

The  country  is  level,  and  very  little  of  it  is  under  cultivation. 
Cattle-raising  is  the  principal  pursuit.  The  western  part  of  the 
state  adjoins  the  diamond-fields,  and  there  are  some  diamond-fields 
in  the  Orange  Free  State.  The  Griqualand  West  territory  was  a 
part  of  the  state  until  the  English  took  possession  by  paying  a 
sum  of  money.  When  the  Boers  first  settled  the  country  they 
drove  out  the  native  negro  tribes  so  efieclually  that  they  have  had 
but  little  trouble  with  them  since. 

The  chief  town  is  the  capital, — Bloemfontein, — about  ninety 
miles  east  of  Kimberly.  It  is  a  small  town,  and  its  climate  is  so 
excellent  that  it  is  a  health  resort  for  invalids  from  the  diamond- 
fields  and  other  points.  There  are  about  thirty-five  other  towns 
and  villages.  The  country  has  been  prosperous,  and  its  wealth 
can  be  judged  from  the  government  revenue,  which  for  1882  was 
one  million  one  hundred  and  fifly-eight  thousand  dollars,  and  the 
expenditure  for  the  same  year  one  million  seventy-seven  thousand 
three  hundred  dollars.     The  president  is  His  Honor  J.  H.  Brand. 

The  Orange  Free  State  has  no  sea-board  and  no  relations  with 
any  other  countries  of  the  world.  All  foreign  relations  are  carried 
on  through  the  governor  of  Cape  Colony,  who  is  also  high  com- 
missioner for  the  countries  of  South  Africa  adjacent  to  the  Cape 
Colony,  so  that  practically  the  Orange  Free  State  is  under  the 
protection  of  Great  Britain. 

THE  TRANSVAAL  STATE. 

This  was  formerly  known  as  the  South  African  Republic,  and 
was  founded  by  emigrant  Boers.  This  country,  as  its  name  indi- 
cates, lies  "  across"  north  of  the  Vaal  River,  and  is,  like  the 
Orange  Free  State,  without  any  sea-coast.     It  is  separated  from 


THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  263 

the  east  coast  by  Natal,  Zululand,  and  the  Portuguese  province  of 
Mozambique.  Its  area  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifteen  thousand 
square  miles,  and  it  contains  forty  thousand  whites  and  about  eight 
hundred  thousand  native  inhabitants.  Farming  pursuits  engage 
the  attention  of  nearly  the  whole  country,  though  the  gold-fields  of 
Leydenberg  district  are  very  rich,  and  it  is  probable  that  these 
mines  will  indirectly  contribute  a  great  deal  to  the  development 
of  the  entire  country. 

The  history  of  this  country  may  be  said  to  commence  when 
Great  Britain  recognized  the  independence  of  the  South  African 
Republic  by  the  Sand  River  convention  in  1852.  In  1859  the 
Transvaal  and  Orange  Free  State  wanted  to  confederate,  but  were 
prevented  from  doing  so  by  the  English.  Disputes  were  frequent 
in  regard  to  the  boundary-lines,  and  gave  rise  to  considerable  es- 
trangement between  the  inhabitants  of  the  two  states.  In  1873 
the  Leydenberg  gold-fields  were  discovered  and  caused  a  great  rush 
to  that  part  of  the  state.  President  Burgers  then  entered  into  a 
treaty  with  the  Portuguese  for  the  construction  of  a  railroad  to 
Delagoa  Bay,  which  is  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the 
gold-fields,  and  which  will  be  the  seaport  of  the  Transvaal  State. 

In  1876  war  was  declared  against  Secoceini,  a  rebel  chief  resid- 
ing in  the  republic,  but  this  war  was  a  complete  failure.  The 
Boers  did  not  rally  to  the  support  of  the  government,  and  as  long 
as  they  themselves  were  not  molested  in  person  or  property  they 
simply  let  the  government  take  care  of  itself.  The  Transvaal 
Boers  may  be  considered  that  class  of  Dutch  farmers  who  have 
been  the  most  bitter  against  the  English.  When  they  emigrated 
they  trekked  as  far  as  possible,  and  felt  sure  of  having  rid  them- 
selves of  the  hated  "  Englischman,"  with  whom  they  have  noth- 
ing in  common.  The  Boer  is  a  simple,  uneducated  countryman. 
He  likes  to  be  out  of  the  sight  of  his  neighbor's  smoke,  and  it  is 
a  source  of  satisfaction  to  him  to  live  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
away  from  any  other  man's  dwelling.  He  is  very  religious  and 
prides  himself  on  his  godliness,  in  accordance  with  the  Calvinistio 


264  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

teachings.  His  ambition  is  to  have  large  flocks  and  to  rule  his 
household  like  the  old  patriarchs,  unmolested.  He  takes  no  in- 
terest io  the  government  and  hates  taxes,  which,  somehow,  are 
indelibly  connected  with  the  English,  from  whose  detested  rule 
he  had  migrated.  The  finances  were  in  a  most  deplorable  condi- 
tion, and  the  government  could  not  even  raise  the  paltry  sum  of 
fifty  pounds  to  pay  the  salaries  of  some  subordinates.  Having 
lost  their  credit  and  the  hope  of  credit,  the  president  and  execu- 
tive council  found  themselves  on  the  verge  of  bankruptcy  and 
powerless  to  carry  on  the  government. 

Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone  visited  the  country  early  in  1877  in 
order  to  induce  the  South  African  Republic  to  join  the  proposed 
South  African  Confederation.  President  Burgers  called  the 
"  Volksraad"  (congress)  to  meet  to  consider  this  proposition,  and 
a  number  of  influential  Boers  then  thought  that,  as  they  could 
not  carry  on  the  government  themselves,  it  would  be  best  to  ask 
the  annexation  to  Great  Britain  at  once  and  save  themselves  from 
any  further  consideration  of  the  too  difficult  financial  problem. 
Shepstone  was  very  popular  with  the  Boers,  much  more  so  than 
their  own  President  Burgers,  who  was  very  much  disliked  by  the 
old  Dutch  party.  The  Volksraad  avoided  the  question  of  con- 
federation, but  a  great  many  Boers  and  other  citizens,  mostly 
English  traders,  signed  a  petition  for  annexation,  and  as  the  oppo- 
nents of  this  measure  did  not  protest,  Shepstone  believed  that  an- 
nexation was  desired  by  a  large  majority  of  people.  The  Volks- 
raad promised  to  appeal  to  their  constituents  on  the  subject  of  the 
new  constitution,  and  immediately  after  doing  so  passed  an  act, 
which  was  familiarly  called  the  "  Hou  jou  smoel"  law,  meaning 
"  hold  your  jaw,"  and  which  made  it  treason  to  discuss  the 
question  of  confederation  or  annexation. 

It  appears,  however,  that  annexation  was  determined  upon  in 
England  before  Shepstone  visited  the  country,  and  that  he  had 
secret  instructions  to  resort  to  force  if  necessary  to  effect  the  an- 
nexation.    The  prospects  of  the  recently  discovered  gold-fields 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  265 

had  excited  England's  historical  greed  of  territory,  and  the  finan- 
cial troubles  of  the  government  afforded  an  excellent  excuse. 
The  annexation  was  proclaimed  on  April  12,  1877,  and  Sir  T. 
Shepstone  became  administrator  of  the  government.  Shepstone's 
personal  popularity  with  the  majority  of  the  Boers  contributed  to 
make  the  Boers  overlook  the  fact  that  their  country  was  in  actual 
possession  of  the  English.  It  took  some  time  for  the  simple  Dutch 
farmers  to  realize  the  meaning  of  annexation.  They  all  knew  Sir  T. 
Shepstone,  and  felt  as  if  he  were  their  countryman.  His  first  act 
was  the  abolition  of  an  oppressive  war  tax,  so  that  his  government 
immediately  became  very  popular;  the  finances  were  taken  in 
hand,  conciliatory  negotiations  were  made  with  neighboring  hostile 
natives,  and  everything  promised  to  run  smoothly. 

But  the  Boers  did  not  want  to  be  English,  and  gradually  be- 
came aroused  to  the  fact  that  they  had  lost  their  independence. 
Meetings  were  held,  at  which  many  protested  against  the  annexa- 
tion, and  a  deputation  was  sent  to  England,  which  asked  for  the 
restoration  of  the  country  to  the  Boers.  In  this  mission  they 
were  unsuccessful,  and  their  failure  only  increased  the  opposition 
to  England.  Upon  their  return  the  agitation  continued  openly  ; 
and  in  March,  1878,  Shepstone  issued  a  proclamation  against 
these  meetings  of  "designing  persons."  At  this  juncture  Sir  T. 
Shepstone  was  recalled  by  the  English  government,  and  the  gov- 
ernor of  Cape  Colony,  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  was  appointed  high  com- 
missioner, and,  with  Sir  Owen  Lanyon,  deputed  to  administer  the 
government  of  the  Transvaal  State. 

The  agitation  against  annexation  then  commenced  in  earnest. 
The  Boers  knew  that  Shepstone  had  endeavored  to  obtain  a  liberal 
representative  government  for  the  state,  and  when  he  was  recalled 
their  subjection  to  Great  Britain  appeared  a  decided  reality.  Sir 
Bartle  Frere  perceived  that  the  reported  majority  of  Boers  in  favor 
of  annexation  never  existed.  He  renewed  the  fair  promises  made 
by  Shepstone,  but  was  relieved  by  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  in  August, 
1880,  just  before  the  settlement  of  the  Zulu  war. 


266  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Sir  Owen  Lanyon  remained  at  Pretoria  virtually  in  charge  of  the 
state.  He  wa«  placed  there  by  the  English  government,  and  dis- 
charged his  duties  solely  for  England  and  not  for  Transvaal.  He 
enforced  the  taxes,  fines,  and  fees  with  strict  integrity,  and  ex- 
hibited the  money  to  prove  that  the  Boers  were  satisfied  with  an- 
nexation. The  Natal  law  prohibiting  the  sale  of  gunpowder  with- 
out a  license  was  strictly  enforced,  and  several  prominent  Boers 
went  to  prison  in  preference  to  paying  the  fine  of  five  pounds.  An 
immense  meeting  of  Boers  took  place  at  Paarde  Kraal,  at  which 
it  was  decided  to  make  a  formal  declaration  of  their  independence 
on  December  16,  1880.  In  order  to  effect  this  they  wanted  to 
print  their  proclamation,  and  as  the  only  available  printing-office 
was  at  Potchefstrom,  where  there  was  a  force  of  British  soldiers, 
the  Boers  sent  an  armed  force  to  compel  the  printer  to  do  the 
work  and  then  return  to  the  camp.  The  English  garrison  con- 
sisted of  two  hundred  men  with  two  9-pounders,  and  occupied  a 
fort  outside  of  the  town,  the  jail,  and  court-house.  A  force  of 
five  hundred  Boers  entered  the  town  on  the  15th  of  November, 
1880,  and  seized  the  printing-office.  They  took  possession  of  the 
town  and  defied  the  British  garrison,  who  kept  inside  their  barri- 
cades. When  the  Boers  left  a  detachment  of  soldiers  was  sent 
afler  them,  and  in  the  excitement  they  commenced  firing  and  one 
of  the  soldiers  was  wounded. 

In  the  mean  time  the  administrator,  Sir  Owen  Lanyon,  saw  that 
matters  were  becoming  dangerous,  and  wrote  to  Sir  George  Colley, 
who  had  succeeded  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  as  high  commissioner,  to 
send  reinforcements  to  the  Transvaal.  He  issued  a  series  of  proc- 
lamations denouncing  the  "misguided  leaders,"  and  asserting  that 
England  would  never  restore  the  independence  of  the  Boers.  This 
last  clause  gave  confidence  to  the  loyal  Boers,  but  they  were  a 
small  minority,  while  the  mass  of  the  people  felt  that  the  time  for 
the  stm^le  had  really  come.  It  would  fill  a  volume  to  give  the 
details  of  the  different  battles,  the  sieges  which  English  garrisons 
sustained  in  the  different  towns,  and  the  disasters  which  they  met 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  267 

at  every  encounter  with  the  determined  Boers.  The  first  engage- 
ment occurred  at  Bronkhurst  Spruit,  where  three  hundred  men  of 
the  Ninety-fourth  Regiment  were  attacked  on  their  march  to  the 
capital,  Pretoria.  The  officer  in  command.  Colonel  Anstruther, 
was  warned  beforehand,  but  did  not  believe  he  would  be  attacked, 
and  took  no  extra  precautions.  His  convoy  of  thirty  ox-wagons, 
etc.,  each  drawn  by  sixteen  or  eighteen  bullocks,  covered  over  a 
mile  of  road  even  when  in  close  order.  He  left  Middleberg  on  De- 
cember 19,  and  upon  arriving  at  Bronkhurst  Spruit  he  saw  a  large 
force  of  Boers  on  all  sides  of  the  convoy.  He  then  ordered  a  halt, 
and  sent  word  to  close  up.  A  messenger  from  Piet  Joubert,  who, 
with  S.  P.  Kruger  and  M.  W.  Pretorius,  formed  a  Boer  triumvi- 
rate, rode  up  and  handed  a  note  to  the  colonel,  requesting  him  to 
halt  until  a  reply  was  received  to  the  ultimatum  which  the  Boera 
had  sent  to  Sir  Owen  Lanyon.  The  note  also  declared  that  if  the 
colonel  should  advance  one  step  beyond  the  Spruit  it  would  be 
considered  a  declaration  of  war.  The  colonel  replied  that  he 
would  march  to  Pretoria,  and  proceeded  to  do  so,  when  the  Boers 
appeared  in  force  in  front  and  opened  fire.  The  British  deployed  as 
skirmishers,  but  in  less  than  ten  minutes  one  hundred  and  twenty 
soldiers  were  killed  and  wounded  by  the  wonderfully  accurate  fire 
of  the  Boers.  The  English  returned  the  fire  as  best  they  could,  but 
it  was  of  no  use  ;  the  '*  cease  fire"  was  sounded,  and  handkerchiefs 
promptly  waved  to  denote  submission.  The  colonel  and  a  large 
percentage  of  officers  were  killed  and  the  whole  command  captured. 

The  Boers  have  been  accused  of  treachery  for  this  fight,  but 
evidence  shows  that  the  English  paid  no  attention  to  the  Boer 
threats,  and  that  they  were  attacked  fairly.  The  English  officials 
had  pigeon-holed  all  the  Boer  petitions  and  memorials,  and  would 
not  believe  that  the  Boers  would  ever  fight. 

Sir  George  CoUey  then  collected  all  available  troops  in  Natal  to 
invade  Transvaal,  but  the  Boers  did  not  wait  for  him.  They  had 
things  pretty  much  their  own  way  in  Transvaal,  where  most  of 
the  English  troops  were  besieged  in  the  towns,  and  accordingly 


268  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

marched  to  the  Natal  frontier,  and  selected  Laing  Neck,  a  point 
on  the  road  from  Natal  to  Pretoria,  at  which  to  make  their  final 
stand.  The  Boers  occupied  a  ridge  in  front  of  Henry  Laing's 
farm-hoase,  which  was  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall,  when  the 
British  troops  advanced  at  six  A.M.,  January  28,  1881.  The 
English  force  was  the  Fifty-eighth  Regiment,  five  hundred  men ; 
Sixtieth  Rifles,  four  hundred ;  naval  brigade,  one  hundred  and 
twenty ;  twelve  field-pieces  and  about  two  hundred  mounted  men, 
making  a  total  of  about  fourteen  hundred  men.  The  artillery 
opened  fire  at  ten  A.M.,  and  after  shelling  the  ridge  for  twenty 
minutes  the  mounted  squadron  charged  a  hillock  on  the  Boers' 
left.  The  Fifty-eighth  then  advanced  near  the  centre,  supported 
by  the  rifles.  The  Boers  reserved  their  fire  until  the  cavalry 
gained  the  summit,  when  they  poured  in  a  volley,  which  emptied 
half  the  saddles  and  forced  the  rest  to  retreat.  The  Fifty-eighth 
marched  up  in  solid  front  to  charge  the  ridge  as  if  on  parade,  and 
were  met  by  a  terrible  fire  in  front  and  on  their  flanks,  which 
compelled  them  to  deploy  and  take  such  shelter  as  the  ground 
afforded.  But  when  they  rose  up  to  charge,  a  deadly  fire  cut  the 
regiment  up  most  terribly  and  obliged  them  to  retreat.  The  ex- 
cellent artillery  practice  alone  saved  them  from  being  annihilated, 
as  it  prevented  the  Boers  from  advancing.  The  British  lost  about 
two  hundred  men  killed  and  wounded,  and  the  Boers  none  killed 
and  twenty-four  wounded.  The  Boers  were  excellent  marksmen  j 
they  were  accustomed  to  handling  a  gun  from  early  boyhood,  and 
the  British  soldiers  had  not  the  slightest  chance  against  them. 
Their  white  helmets  and  bright  red  coats  afforded  good  targets, 
which  the  Boers  rarely  missed.  After  the  battle  Sir  George 
CoUey  waited  for  reinforcements,  and  some  minor  engagements 
took  place  on  the  Ingogo  Heights  and  surrounding  country  during 
the  month  of  February,  1881. 

During  the  night  of  the  26th  of  February  word  was  silently 
passed  for  detachments  of  the  Fifty-eighth,  Sixtieth  Rifles,  naval 
brigade,  and  Ninety-second  Highlanders,  a  total  of  six  hundred 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE   BROOKLYN.  269 

men,  to  form  for  a  secret  night  expedition.  At  ten  o'clock  the 
command  started  from  the  camp  in  front  of  Laing's  Neck,  and, 
guided  by  KafiBrs,  climbed  the  steep  ascent  of  Majuba  Mountain. 
This  hill  commanded  the  Boer  camp  at  Laing's  Neck,  and  with 
its  steep  precipitous  sides  could  have  been  made  absolutely  im- 
pregnable by  a  force  lodged  in  the  basin  upon  its  summit.  It  was 
nearly  dawn  when  this  ascent  was  accomplished  by  General  CoUey 
and  his  six  hundred,  and  when  done  the  troops  were  so  exhausted 
that  they  were  all  given  a  rest,  without  taking  the  most  ordinary 
precautions.  A  party  of  Highlanders  imprudently  exposed  them- 
selves to  view  at  early  dawn,  and  were  so  elated  with  the  advan- 
tages of  the  position  they  had  gained  that  they  shook  their  fists 
at  the  Boer  camp,  and  said,  "  Come  up  here,  you  beggars !"  The 
Boers  did  not  hear  this  threat,  but  they  did  "  come  up  here." 
The  Boer  camp  was  seen  astir  by  the  first  glimpse  of  dawn,  and 
before  the  English  deemed  it  possible,  a  number  commenced 
firing  up  at  them  from  behind  boulders  in  the  terraced  ground  in 
front.  The  Boers  actually  stormed  the  mountain,  not  in  full  dis- 
play of  regimental  parade,  but  as  individuals  supporting  each 
other. 

The  English  did  not  know  the  nature  of  the  ground  they  ocoa- 
pied,  and  before  they  made  proper  dispositions  for  defence  the 
Boers  had  gained  the  crest  and  poured  in  a  most  destructive  fire 
upon  them.  The  di£ferent  regiments  became  confused  and  mixed 
up  in  a  crowd  in  the  centre  of  the  basin  without  any  organiza- 
tion. A  panic  suddenly  seized  them  and  all  took  to  flight,  pur- 
sued by  the  Boers.  General  Colley  was  shot  while  attempting  to 
rally  the  men,  and  Commander  Romilly,  of  the  naval  brigade,  fell 
by  his  side.  This  flight  is  graphically  described  by  Mr.  Carter, 
an  English  newspaper  reporter,  from  whose  "Narrative  of  the 
Boer  War"  this  account  has  been  compiled.  Mr.  Carter  ran  with 
the  rest,  and  deliberately  let  himself  slide  down  from  the  edge  of 
the  precipice,  and  landed  unhurt  on  a  projecting  boulder  a  great 
distance  below,  under  which  he  took  shelter  from  the  Boer  bul- 

18 


270  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

lets.  He  hid  for  some  time,  UDtil  summoned  by  a  voice  from 
above :  "  Halloo  there !  Coom  up  ere ;  I  weel  not  shut  you," 
which  induced  him  to  surrender,  and  being  well  received,  was 
taken  to  Commandant  Smidt,  to  whom  he  explained  that  he  was 
a  newspaper  correspondent. 

The  total  force  on  the  Boer  side,  either  storming  or  held  in  re- 
serve for  the  attack  on  Majuba  Mountain,  was  four  hundred  and 
fifty  men.  Their  loss  was  one  killed  and  five  wounded,  while  the 
English  loss  was,  officers,  six  killed,  including  the  general,  nine 
wounded,  and  six  prisoners ;  men,  eighty-six  killed,  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  wounded,  and  fifty-three  prisoners, — a  total  loss 
of  two  hundred  and  eighty-five  out  of  the  six  hundred  who  went 
to  Majuba.  The  Boers  behaved  with  remarkable  humanity  ;  they 
had  beaten  the  English  in  every  encounter,  even  when  outnum- 
bered and  against  every  advantage  in  position.  They,  however, 
did  not  take  any  credit  to  themselves,  but  ascribed  it  all  to  the 
righteousness  of  their  cause,  and  with  most  admirable  simplicity 
said,  *'  The  Lord  helped  them." 

Sir  Evelyn  Wood  took  command  after  the  Majuba  disaster,  and 
negotiations  for  peace  shortly  aft^erwards  resulted  in  an  armistice 
and  a  convention,  by  which  England  submitted  to  the  Boer  de- 
mand and  restored  their  independence.  The  name  of  the  country 
was  changed  from  South  African  Republic  to  Transvaal  Free 
State,  and  the  Boers  consented  to  acknowledge  the  "  suzerainty" 
of  the  Queen  of  England.  The  term  "  suzerainty"  means  that 
England  has  charge  of  all  foreign  relations  of  the  Transvaal  State, 
but  that  the  Boers  have  their  own  republican  government  inde- 
pendent of  England.  An  Englishman  resides  at  Pretoria  with 
the  title  of  British  resident,  who  has  charge  of  relations  with  sur- 
rounding natives,  and  acts  as  a  British  minister.  The  govern- 
ment is  administered  by  a  president  and  Yolksraad,  similar  to 
that  of  the  Orange  Free  State. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  271 


ZULULAND. 

This  territory  is  occupied  by  savage  negro  tribes  called  Zulus, 
after  the  name  of  one  of  their  famous  kings.  About  the  be- 
ginning of  this  century  a  chief  named  Chaka  obtained  ascend- 
ency over  the  other  tribes  and  organized  a  standing  army,  by 
which  he  weakened  the  power  of  independent  chiefs  and  strength- 
ened his  own.  Military  service  was  compulsory  on  all  males,  and 
each  one  was  assigned  to  a  regiment  according  to  his  age.  These 
regiments  thus  became  the  king's  and  were  separated  from  their 
tribes.  The  women  were  divided  similarly,  and  had  to  marry  into 
regiments  at  the  king's  command.  Regiments  were  not  allowed 
to  marry  until  they  were  entitled  to  wear  "  head-rings,"  which 
right  they  obtained  when  they  became  forty  years  old.  Chaka 
made  war  on  surrounding  natives,  and  in  1824  allowed  the  Eng- 
lish to  establish  a  trading-post  at  Durban.  He  thought  of  visiting 
England,  but  was  murdered,  and  Dingaan  succeeded  him.  Wars 
with  the  Boers  continued  until  Cetewayo  became  king,  who  pre- 
served a  nominal  peace  through  the  influence  of  the  English. 
The  Zulus,  however,  continued  to  commit  depredations  on  the 
border,  and,  finally,  a  party  of  them  crossed  into  Natal  and  killed 
several  refugee  Zulu  women.  The  English  demanded  the  sur- 
render of  the  murderers,  but  Cetewayo  refused  to  give  them  up. 
In  December,  1878,  commissioners  went  to  Cetewayo  and  de- 
manded the  recognition  of  the  boundary-line  of  the  Tugela,  Buf- 
falo, and  Blood  Rivers,  thence  to  the  Magedala  Mountains,  and 
then  to  the  Pongolo  River.  Certain  reforms  were  to  be  carried 
out  in  the  customs  of  the  people,  and  the  large  army  was  to  be  at 
once  disbanded.  The  king  was  also  told  that  unless  he  complied 
by  January  1,  1879,  the  British  army  would  invade  Zululand. 
The  terms  meant  virtually  a  cession  of  the  country,  and  no  hope 
was  entertained  of  their  acceptance. 

The  British  collected  their  forces  at  four  points  to  form  four 
invading  columns,  which  were  to  meet  at  the  "  Great  Place"  of 


272  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Cotewayo.  Each  column  numbered  about  two  thousand  men. 
The  Zulu  army  consisted  of  about  twenty-five  regiments,  and 
numbered  in  all  about  forty  thousand  men.  The  chief  peculiarity 
of  these  regiments  consisted  in  a  simple  but  wonderfully  quick 
manoeuvre  of  forming  circles  to  outflank  an  enemy.  From  this 
formation  by  the  wings  they  break  with  great  celerity  into  col- 
umns of  regiments  or  companies,  and  from  these  into  skirmishing 
order,  with  reserves  and  supports.  Three  or  four  days'  grain  car- 
ried by  lads,  and  sometimes  a  herd  of  cattle,  constitute  the  Zulu 
commissariat.  The  Zulu  is  a  born  athlete,  and  can  run  eight  or 
ten  miles  or  walk  seventy  or  eighty  without  breaking  down.  He 
is  armed  with  several  assegais  (short  spears),  which  he  can  throw 
with  sufficient  force  to  kill  at  fifty  yards.  Some  have  muskets 
and  rifles,  but  all  carry  assegais.  Shields  made  of  rhinoceros- 
hide  are  carried  by  some  of  the  chiefs. 

It  is  not  intended  to  enter  into  the  details  of  this  war.  A 
few  incidents  from  "  The  Story  of  the  Zulu  Campaign,"  by  Major 
Aske  and  Captain  Edgell  (killed  at  Ulundi),  will  convey  a  fair 
idea  of  the  struggle. 

No  reply  having  been  received  from  Cetewayo  by  January  11, 
to  which  date  the  time  was  extended,  the  first  column  crossed  the 
Tugela  and  marched  to  Ekowe,  about  thirty  miles  north.  They 
were  opposed  by  about  ten  thousand  Zulus,  and  were  finally  block- 
aded in  that  place  after  a  series  of  small  engagements,  in  which 
the  British  soldiers  fought  gallantly  against  overwhelming  num- 
bers. The  second  column  failed  to  cross  the  river,  but  the  fourth, 
under  Colonel  Wood,  with  a  large  Boer  contingent,  operated  from 
the  Transvaal  frontier  with  great  success.  Lord  Chelmsford  was 
in  command  of  the  army  and  directed  the  movements  of  the  third 
column  in  person.  This  advanced  from  the  northeastern  frontier 
of  Natal  and  had  to  check  a  threatened  invasion  of  Natal. 

The  third  column  started  from  K,orke'8  Drift,  on  the  Buffalo 
River,  and  detachments  were  sent  ahead  to  reconnoitre.  The 
first,  under  Major  Dartnell,  found  the  enemy  on  January  21,  and 


THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  273 

was  reinforced  by  a  larger  body  from  the  second,  under  Colonel 
Pulleine,  who  was  left  in  charge  of  a  camp  at  Isandula.  Colonel 
Durnford  was  then  ordered  from  Rorke's  Drift  to  reinforce  Colonel 
Pulleine,  and  being  senior  oflScer  took  command  of  the  camp, 
which  contained  a  total  force  of  sixteen  hundred  and  twenty-two 
officers  and  men, — one-half  English  and  the  other  half  Natal 
natives.  The  battle  commenced  almost  immediately  after  Durn- 
ford's  arrival,  at  nine  a.m.,  January  22.  The  Zulus  attacked  the 
camp  with  a  force  of  twenty  thousand  men,  but  their  right  wing 
was  repulsed,  and  when  the  English  thought  the  Zulu  army 
beaten  they  were  suddenly  attacked  in  the  right  and  rear.  It 
seems  that  in  the  midst  of  the  engagement,  after  charging  with  a 
desperate  fanatic  recklessness,  the  Zulus  performed  their  peculiar 
circular  evolution  and  threw  their  right  wing  to  the  centre,  the 
centre  to  the  left,  and  what  had  been  the  left  stood  fast  and  be- 
came the  right.  In  executing  this  manoeuvre  the  English  sup- 
posed them  in  flight  and  gave  chase,  but  this  exposed  their  rear, 
and  before  they  had  time  to  fix  bayonets  the  enemy  entered  the 
camp,  which,  in  disregard  to  positive  orders,  had  not  been 
"  laagered,"  and  in  a  moment  all  was  disorder.  Then  followed  a 
hand-to-hand  fight,  in  which  the  Zulus  used  their  assegais  with 
terrible  effect,  and  soon  routed  the  English.  Twenty-six  English 
officers  and  six  hundred  men  perished  in  this  sad  disaster,  while 
the  British  lost  their  camp,  one  hundred  and  two  wagons,  two 
guns,  twelve  hundred  rifles,  and  a  large  amount  of  material  and 
supplies.  A  part  of  the  enemy's  force  remained  to  plunder  the 
camp,  while  two  regiments  of  four  thousand  men  proceeded  to 
Rorke's  Drift,  where  eight  officers  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-one 
men  heroically  defended  the  hospital  against  repeated  assaults  by 
the  savage  horde.  This  force  was  the  king's  main  body,  and 
though  they  won  the  British  camp  at  Isandula  they  did  so  with 
an  immense  sacrifice  of  life,  and  they  were  unable  to  gain  any 
other  success  during  the  war.  The  British  were,  however,  held  in 
check,  and  had  to  await  reinforcements  before  they  could  proceed. 


274  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

The  second  period  of  the  war  began  about  May  3,  after  the 
arrival  of  reinforcements  from  England,  numbering  eight  thousand 
five  hundred  men,  including  two  regiments  of  cavalry.  The 
British  army  met  with  unvarying  success  in  this  period  of  the 
war,  which  is  marked  by  the  sad  death  of  the  son  of  the  late  Em- 
peror Louis  Napoleon.  Shortly  after  the  first  advance  he  volun- 
teered for  a  reconnoissance,  and  obtained  permission  and  a  suitable 
escort.  The  prince  was  young  and  so  ambitious  that  he,  with 
Lieutenant  Carey  and  six  men,  started  off  without  waiting  for  the 
rest  of  the  escort,  and  "  off  saddled"  on  a  bluff  by  the  Ityotyozi 
River  without  posting  any  pickets.  A  force  of  Zulus  then  sur- 
rounded them  unperceived,  and  assegaied  the  prince  as  he  at- 
tempted to  mount.  Lieutenant  Carey  and  four  others  managed 
to  escape. 

Cetewayo  was  finally  captured  on  August  30,  and  the  Zulus  were 
compelled  to  submit  to  the  English  government.  Lord  Chelms- 
ford was  relieved  of  his  command  just  before  the  close  of  the  war 
by  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley.  The  war  was  practically  ended  before 
the  latter  arrived,  owing  to  the  measures  taken  by  Lord  Chelms- 
ford, who  was  relieved  chiefly  because  of  the  death  of  the  Prince 
Napoleon.  John  Dunn,  a  white  Zulu  chieftain,  contributed  to 
the  overthrow  of  Cetewayo,  and  the  country  was  pacified.  Cete- 
wayo was  sent  to  Cape  Town  and  to  London  to  see  England's 
power.  He  was  then  restored  to  liberty  and  replaced  as  King  of 
Zululand.  He  died  a  year  later,  and  different  chiefs  have  been 
disputing  over  the  inheritance. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  276 


CHAPTER   XV. 

Departure  for  St.  Helena — Impressions  upon  sighting  the  Island — Incidents 
of  the  "  Brooklyn's"  Stay  in  Port — Grand  Ball  given  to  the  OflScers  by  the 
Citizens  of  Jamestown — Description  of  St.  Helena — History  of  the  Island 
— Napoleon's  Exile — Measures  taken  by  the  English  to  prevent  his  Escape 
— Failure  of  the  Plans  of  Napoleon's  Friends — The  Remarkable  Resem- 
blance of  the  Chinese  Servant  to  the  Ex-Emperor — Napoleon's  Pastimes — 
Last  Sickness  and  Death — Curious  Coincidence  related  by  an  Old  Inhabitant 
— Burial  at  St.  Helena — Neglect  of  Longwood — Napoleon's  Remains  re 
moved  to  France — Grand  Funeral  Procession — Restoration  of  Napoleon's 
Residence  —  Cession  of  the  Tomb  and  Longwood  Estate  to  Napoleon's 
Heirs  by  Great  Britain — The  Present  Guardian  of  the  Tomb — A  Visit  to 
Longwood  and  Description  of  its  Present  Condition. 

At  ten  A.M.,  Saturday,  April  12,  we  left  our  snug  berth,  in  the 
outer  basin  of  the  Alfred  Docks,  where  the  ship  had  comfortably 
weathered  the  furious  southeasters  during  our  stay  at  Cape  Town. 
We  then  anchored  in  Table  Bay,  near  the  breakwater,  and  returned 
the  salutes  which  had  been  fired  when  we  were  in  the  basin.  "  The 
Castle"  returned  our  salute  to  the  governor,  and  the  Austrian 
school-ship  "  Donau"  fired  a  national  salute  to  the  American  flag. 
These  official  international  acts  of  courtesy  having  been  performed, 
we  again  got  under  way,  and  most  regretfully  took  our  departure 
from  Cape  Town,  where  all  of  us  left  some  one  or  more  kind 
friends  among  its  inhabitants.  A  little  flirtation  by  signals  with 
sunflashes  to  the  villas  at  Sea  Point  gave  signal  officers  a  "  signal" 
advantage  over  their  shipmates ;  but  just  then  the  band  struck  up 
"  Home,  Sweet  Home,"  when  a  greater  interest  was  manifested  in 
our  speed,  as  the  fact  dawned  that  most  of  us  would  reach  our 
homes  before  we  should  see  this  land  again.  We  experienced 
good  weather  and  fair  winds  throughout,  so  that  the  next  day  we 
uncoupled  the  propeller   and  kept  under  sail  alone.     We  had 


276  TS^  CRUISE  OP  THE  BROOKLYN. 

light  to  moderate  breezes  from  the  south  and  hauling  to  the  west 
and  back  again  to  southeast.  It  would  be  difficult  to  state  at 
what  time  we  first  got  the  '*  southeast  trades,"  because  there  was 
no  decided  change  in  the  weather  to  mark  the  instant  when  we 
crossed  the  southern  limit.  The  log  shows  that  after  eight  a.m., 
April  17,  the  wind  did  not  haul  to  the  west  of  south-southeast,  so 
that  from  that  position — latitude  25°  40'  south,  longitude  8°  10' 
east — it  may  be  said  that  we  had  the  trade-winds. 

There  are  no  special  incidents  to  record  during  the  passage. 
The  usual  drills  and  exercises  occupied  the  daily  routine  until  we 
sighted  St.  Helena  Island  at  ten  A.M.  on  Wednesday,  April  23. 
During  that  afternoon  and  night  we  laid  off  and  on,  so  that  we 
might  take  up  our  anchorage  off  Jamestown  the  next  day  during 
daylight. 

A  beautiful  sunset  illumined  the  island  of  St.  Helena  with  a 
sombre  magnificence.  A  deep  black  cloud  hung  over  the  island 
as  if  to  point  out  its  tragic  history.  Nature's  memorial  to  the 
great  Napoleon,  a  huge  sarcophagus  in  mid-ocean.  With  such 
thoughts,  so  aptly  expressed  in  the  lines  quoted  from  Chateaubriand, 
we  passed  our  watch  that  night  in  expectation  of  arrival  in  the 
morning. 

As  we  approached  the  island  it  seemed  to  grow  more  and  more 
repulsive.  The  steep  precipices,  barren  rocks,  and  deep  ravines, 
all  bristling  with  fortifications,  did  not  invite  approach,  although 
this  was  the  haven  we  had  sailed  for.  At  9.30  we  rounded 
Barn  Point,  and  soon  made  out  the  vessels  at  anchor  in  the  harbor. 
Bank's  Battery,  like  an  eyry  in  the  cliffs,  was  next  passed,  then 
the  ramparts  and  works  of  Rupert's  Valley,  and  finally  at  10.15 
we  quietly  anchored  in  James  Bay. 

Immediately  afler  anchoring  we  saluted  the  English  flag  with 
twenty-one  guns,  which  salute  was  promptly  returned  by  the  fort 
on  the  crest  of  Ladder  Hill.  At  1.45  P.m.  Admiral  Phelps, 
Captain  Weaver,  and  the  personal  staff  left  the  ship  and  made  an 
official  visit  to  the  governor.     A  guard  of  honor  from  the  garri- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  277 

son  received  them  upon  landing,  and  the  fort  fired  a  salute  of 
thirteen  guns,  which  we  returned  gun  for  gun.  At  3.15  his  ex- 
cellency the  governor,  Colonel  Grant  Blunt,  Royal  Engineers, 
returned  the  admiral's  visit,  and  upon  his  departure  we  fired  a 
salute  of  seventeen  guns,  all  the  other  usual  naval  honors  being 
complied  with. 

The  anchorage  off  Jamestown  is  simply  an  open  roadstead  on 
the  lee  side  of  the  island,  but  balmy  breezes  prevail  almost  con- 
stantly, and  the  "  oldest  inhabitant"  oannot  remember  any  but  a 
southeast  wind.  The  shipping  in  the  harbor  at  the  time  of  our 
arrival  consisted  of  half  a  dozen  whalers,  five  of  which  flew  the 
stars  and  stripes,  and  gracefully  dipped  to  us  as  we  came  in. 

Jamestown  is  prettily  situated  in  a  valley  which  opens  out  on 
the  lee  side  of  the  island.  The  surf  rolls  in  to  the  beach  con- 
stantly, so  that  the  only  landing  for  boats  is  on  the  left,  just  under 
the  guns  of  Munden's  Battery.  A  road,  which  is  hewn  out  of  the 
rocks,  then  leads  around  to  the  sea-wall  and  the  castellated  ram- 
parts, in  the  centre  of  which  a  bridge  over  the  moat  gives  access 
to  the  town  gate.  A  large  square  opens  out,  after  entering  the 
gate,  with  a  number  of  public  buildings  on  the  left, — "  The  Castle," 
the  official  residence  of  the  governor,  the  colonial  secretary's  office, 
post-office,  and  public  gardens.  The  latter  is  a  piece  of  ground 
of  about  one  acre,  which  is  planted  with  trees  and  kept  as  the 
favorite  resort  of  the  citizens  ;  the  garrison  band  used  to  give 
bi-weekly  concerts  in  this  garden,  but  since  the  great  reduction  in 
the  strength  of  the  garrison  the  band  has  been  withdrawn.  The 
"  Brooklyn's"  band  gave  two  promenade  concerts  during  our 
stay  in  port,  and  added  a  great  deal  to  the  pleasure  the  people 
derived  from  our  visit.  A  small  monument  here  commemo- 
rates the  officers  and  men  of  the  British  navy  who  died  while 
engaged  in  the  suppression  of  the  slave-trade.  The  ruin  of  Mr. 
Porteus's  house  adjoins  the  garden,  and  is  interesting  because  of 
a  coincidence  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington  as  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley, 
on  returning  from  India,  slept  for  one  night  in  the  same  apart- 


278  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

ment  which  was  suhsequently  used  by  Napoleon  when  he  landed 
as  an  exile.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  square  there  are  the 
custom-house,  several  buildings  used  by  the  military,  and  the 
landing  of  the  ladder,  which  leads  to  the  top  of  Ladder  Hill. 
This  ladder  forms  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  features  of  the 
town.  It  was  built  in  1830,  and  was  formerly  equipped  with  a 
rope  tramway,  the  car  of  which  came  to  grief  by  the  rope's  part- 
ing, since  which  it  has  been  disused.  The  famous  ladder  is  nine 
hundred  and  thirty-three  feet  long,  and  reaches  a  vertical  height 
of  six  hundred  and  two  feet,  with  seven  hundred  steps,  each  of 
which  has  a  vertical  rise  of  10.32  inches.  The  average  slope  is 
thirty-nine  degrees,  but  as  it  follows  the  curvature  of  the  hill,  the 
steepest  angle  is  forty-four  degrees. 

The  parish  church,  with  square  tower  supporting  a  pointed  spire, 
is  almost  directly  in  front  of  the  town  gate.  A  wide  street  then 
leads  up  through  the  town,  with  a  number  of  substantial  build- 
ings on  both  sides ;  the  hotel,  St.  Helena  Club,  and  officers'  mess- 
room  on  the  right,  with  some  residences  and  the  handsome  store- 
houses of  Solomon,  Moss,  Gideon  &  Co.  on  the  left.  Two  streets 
branch  oflf  from  this,  one  leading  to  the  famous  side-path,  the 
direct  road  to  Longwood,  and  the  other  to  the  right,  forms  the 
principal  thoroughfare  up  the  valley,  with  the  main  barracks, 
shops,  and  residences  lining  both  sides.  There  are  about  two  hun- 
dred houses  in  the  town,  many  of  which  are  gradually  succumbing 
to  the  ravages  of  the  white  ant,  a  pest  introduced  some  years  ago 
by  the  shipping. 

The  people  of  St.  Helena  extended  the  most  cordial  hospitality. 
The  St.  Helena  Club  immediately  sent  off  invitations  extending 
the  privileges  of  the  club  to  the  admiral,  captain,  and  officers, 
while  His  Excellency  Colonel  Blunt  and  the  officers  of  the  garri- 
son hoped  we  would  consider  ourselves  honorary  members  of  the 
garrison  mess  during  our  stay  in  port.  Wednesday,  May  1,  Mrs. 
Solomon  and  Miss  Moss,  the  leaders  of  St.  Helena  society,  gave 
a  very  elegant  entertainment  to  Admiral  Phelps,  Captain  Weaver, 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  279 

and  the  officers  of  the  "  Brooklyn"  at  the  mess-house  in  James- 
town. Great  preparations  were  made  for  this  entertainment. 
The  house  was  tastefully  decorated  with  flags,  evergreens,  and 
flowers ;  and  every  detail  for  the  comfort  of  the  guests  was  amply 
provided  for.  The  guests  were  received  in  the  rooms  of  the  first 
floor,  from  which  they  went  to  the  ball-room  on  the  second  floor, 
where  Mrs.  Solomon  and  Miss  Moss  received.  The  "  Brooklyn's" 
band  occupied  the  balcony  leading  from  the  ball-room,  and  their 
largest  audience,  it  is  unnecessary  to  state,  was  congregated  in  the 
street  in  front.  We  were  most  agreeably  surprised  this  evening 
at  each  detail  of  this  ball.  We  would  not  have  believed  it  was 
possible  to  get  up  such  a  complete  affair  on  the  island.  It  also 
appeared  that  the  young  ladies  know  the  American  glide  waltz, 
and  dancing  men  were  delighted. 

The  entertainment  commenced  upon  the  arrival  of  his  excellency 
the  governor,  when  the  band  struck  up  the  English  national  hymn 
as  customary,  after  which  a  regular  programme  of  dances  was 
strictly  followed.  There  were  about  one  hundred  persons  in  all, 
including  the  officers  of  the  "  Brooklyn"  and  the  garrison,  whose 
brilliant  uniforms  contrasted  admirably  with  the  elegant  toilets  of 
the  ladies.  The  refreshments  were  of  the  most  substantial  char- 
acter, and  the  greatest  consideration  was  manifested  in  every  detail. 
During  the  entire  evening  tea  and  coffee,  punch,  wines,  etc.,  were 
served  in  a  buffet  on  the  third  floor,  in  a  room  adjoining  which  the 
band  was  kept  supplied  with  beer.  At  midnight  a  march  indi- 
cated that  the  time  for  supper  had  arrived,  and  the  guests  walked 
to  a  large  room  in  the  other  wing  of  the  mess-house,  where  tables 
were  set  and  every  one  was  served  as  if  at  a  regular  hot^l.  A  supper 
at  a  ball  is  often  a  picnic,  where  one  gets  what  he  can,  but  this 
evening  the  most  fastidious  must  have  been  gratified  with  the 
quality  of  the  delicious  viands  and  the  manner  in  which  they  were 
served.  After  supper  dancing  was  resumed  and  kept  up  until 
morning,  when  the  guests  departed,  with  thanks  to  the  hostesses 
for  the  delightful  entertainment. 


280  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

The  governor  also  invited  Admiral  Phelps,  Captain  Weaver, 
and  the  staff  to  luncheon  at  "  Plantation."  The  ofl&cers  of  the  gar- 
rison vied  with  the  citizens  in  giving  expression  to  their  friendly 
consideration  for  Americans,  and  arranged  an  elegant  dinner-party 
at  the  oflBcers'  quarters  on  Ladder  Hill  for  the  "  Brooklyn,"  This 
took  place  on  Friday,  and  was  followed  by  customary  toasts  to 
the  Queen  and  President. 

These  acts  of  courtesy  were  duly  reciprocated  by  the  "  Brook- 
lyn," and  Admiral  Phelps,  Captain  Weaver,  and  the  oflBcers  gave 
a  reception  on  board  from  two  to  five  p.m.  on  Saturday,  May  3. 
The  ship  being  in  the  usual  trim  condition  did  not  need  much 
decoration,  but  a  few  flags  were  tastefully  arrayed ;  while  Eng- 
lish and  American  flags  were  prominently  combined  as  express- 
ive of  our  cordial  friendship.  Colonel  Blunt,  who  was  acting 
governor  since  the  death  of  Governor  Janish,  two  months  before, 
came  simply  as  an  officer  of  the  Royal  Engineers,  and  at  his  re- 
quest the  parade  and  ceremony  of  official  reception  were  dispensed 
with.  All  the  prominent  people  of  St.  Helena  were  invited.  The 
band  played  nicely,  and  it  was  a  very  pleasant  affair.  A  light  col- 
lation was  spread  in  the  wardroom,  and  the  guests  left  about 
sunset,  evidently  highly  gratified  by  their  visit. 

Our  chaplain  was  requested  to  hold  services  in  the  diflFerent 
churches,  and  the  St.  Helena  Guardian  spoke  very  highly  of  his 
sermons.  Father  P.  Hayes,  officiating  chaplain  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  troop.s,  held  divine  service  on  board  the  "  Brooklyn"  one 
Sunday,  and  preached  a  very  impressive  sermon  upon  "  Prayer," 
which  was  especially  edifying.  High  mass  was  celebrated  after 
the  sermon,  and  the  Catholics  in  the  ship's  company  were  very 
thankful  for  this  privilege.  There  was  no  Roman  Catholic  church 
at  this  time  in  St.  Helena,  and  Father  Hayes  was  anxious  to  get 
one  built.  A  subscription  was  started  to  assist  in  this  charitable 
object,  and  the  sum  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars 
was  generously  given  by  this  ship's  company. 

St  Helena  has  been  declining  of  late  years.     The  inhabitants 


*Joq)nv  9m  JO  aaoi^HAjasqo  |«aosJod  pn? 
•a  ^q  ./TO9I0H  'JS  JO  «eojno8oa  nuniinouSv-  aqi  Jo  s^oadsoj^  puB 

l»»a  «  ^q  «'«a9i9H  1S„  ponnaa  '•o?9  '89^00  '»»9iqduiBd  mojj  papdi 


-do  UT!  3onpojd  'q^Bap  pas  ejixa  s.noajodB^  jo  saoaaosiaira? 
p^ldnoo  'qoiqAi  'aouBjBaddB  aAisindaa  Snippiqaoj  b  saiS  mat 
-Bd98  ?Bq^  sinsBqo  daap  puB  sgip  oauBq  qgiq  sqj^  -puBisi 
9q?  JO  BoiBjonBd  jaaoginSBca  b  spjojgB  qoiqM  jo  do?  eq?  'i 
aAoqB  ?89j  anoj  puB  pgjpunq  usaos  poBsnoq?  om?  'jjBa^  e 
81  ^aiod  !)S8qgiq  eqj^  -ggpis  jjb  no  sjfa[[BA  puB  saniABj  das 
'saoxdioaad  if3[ooj  nMOjq-:^jBp  jo  sarias  b  ui  '?qgiaq  oiqBjj 
£idA  B  o:)  'b3s  8q?  raojj  X[{Bopj8A  ?80uiiB  poB  ^pdniqB  sasu 
^m  "saiioi  9ain-jf:>a8ii')  ijnoqB  si  'siuiod  aq?  oaaMijaq  qoB 
900  JO  spjoqo  SaunsBatn  '9ui[-?sboo  aBinSojji  9q()  jo  q?go 
9ixqAi  i  saixiu  jaiJBnb-auo  puB  ?qgi9  qijpBajq  !)S9;B9jg  puB  89] 
-JBnb-9no  poB  n9;  qigagj  9ni9j?x9  8?i  'saiira  ajBnbs  9Ag-i:5Joj 
SI  B9JB  s?j  -aBaoo-pini  ni  uiguo  oiaBO[OA  jo  3[ooj  b  si  puBi 
•poBi  ?s9JBaa  9q?  'aoisaaosy  jo  paBjsi  aq:)  mojj  S9iira  pa 
U9A9B  poB  '!)SB00  oBougoiy  q'^nog  aq;  raojj  sajica  paipnnq  na 
'qsBOo  UBOujY  aq?  raojj  89[iin  .f^joj  poB  pajpanq  a9A9i9  si  qj 
/St  oS  9pniigao[  poB  q^nos  ^qq  ^QI  9pmpB[  oj  89ii  Baaiajj 

•uAiox  adBQ  o?  siCsp  aAg  'aopaorj  o?  s^Bp  uaa'yg  saidnoo 
eqX  -STiaaAi  jnoj  XjaAa  aouo  jo  agBjaAB  ob  uo  pueigng;  rao 
'if[q?notu  aaiM?  ?noqB  puBigug;  oi  9}nou,  U9  do^s  qoiqAv  'sjaniBai 
adBQ  jfq  sx  aoi:)Boiaanitaoo  jb^so^j  -[jbo  jo  ?jod  aaij  b  si  b 
•?g  paB  'ajn^nj  aq?  ni  apBoi  aq  i\m  agjBqo  o^  -ggSl  'l  i 
uo  pajBadai  sbm  S9iiddn8  aoj  uMo?89raBf  ?b  gujuBo  s[assaA 
uo?  B  jfuuad  B  JO  agjBqa  9qj^  -sanp  aguuno;  {[b  jo  ^Badai  a? 
uioxj  papodxa  sbav  jaqaj  a^Bipacaoii  puB  'saaj?  jo  aopBApin 
joj  looj  no  ajBAv  sainsBaj^  -uiaq?  ?saxBgB  pa^Biado  aABq  ajqi 
-9J  qou  9JB  Xgq?  qoiqAv  aoj  sasuBo  ?nq  '98udj9?n9  pasioBj  ?oo 

I8Z  NA1H007IS  3HJj  dO  aSIQ^O   3HJj 


282  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

preemve  feeling  upon  the  spectator,  like  the  desolation  attached  to 
a  graveyard  in  the  thought  of  dead  hopes  and  "  what  might  have 
been."  The  entire  surface  of  the  island  is  hilly  and  precipitous, 
the  only  comparatively  level  portions  being  in  the  vicinity  of  Long- 
wood  and  a  small  area  at  •'  Plantation,"  the  governor's  residence. 
Of  the  entire  area  of  twenty-eight  thousand  eight  hundred  acres, 
twenty  thousand  acres  are  rocky,  barren  wastes,  totally  unfit  for 
agriculture,  eight  thousand  acres  are  for  pasture  and  hay,  four 
hundred  acres  under  forest,  both  of  indigenous  and  introduced 
trees,  and  the  remainder  under  cultivation  for  raising  crops  and 
contributing  to  the  food-supply  of  the  inhabitants. 

The  present  population,  excluding  the  garrison  and  shipping,  is 
about  four  thousand  five  hundred,  of  whom  two  thousand  four 
hundred  and  thirty-five  live  in  Jamestown.  Only  seventy  men 
are  employed  as  farmers.  During  the  last  ten  years  large  num- 
bers of  laborers  have  emigrated  to  the  Cape  and  Natal,  and  evi- 
dences of  decline  are  visible  on  all  sides,  chiefly  attributed  to  the 
completion  of  the  Suez  Canal,  when  the  Cape  route  was  practi- 
cally abandoned  by  the  largest  and  best  ships  to  India  and  the 
East.  Formerly  thousands  of  vessels  used  to  call  annually,  and 
remained  a  considerable  time  refitting,  etc.,  by  which  large  sums 
of  money  were  circulated ;  but  now  large  steamers  are  substituted 
for  those  sailing-vessels,  and  as  they  carry  supplies  of  fresh  meat 
and  v^etables  preserved  by  refrigerating  processes,  those  that  still 
call  seldom  require  anything. 

The  island  being  situated  within  the  belt  of  the  southeast  trade- 
winds,  enjoys  a  remarkably  pleasant  and  equable  climate,  except 
during  the  winter  months,  from  May  to  September,  when  the 
trades  are  very  fresh,  and  it  blows  hard  for  days  and  weeks  and 
the  air  is  heavily  loaded  with  moisture.  The  temperature  varies 
from  fifly-two  to  seventy-seven  degrees,  these  being  the  extremes, 
while  the  average  variation  is  but  seven  degrees,  the  average  in 
February  being  sixty-five  and  in  August  fifty-eight.  These  ob- 
servations were  made  at  Longwood,  seventeen  hundred  and  eighty 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  283 

feet  above  the  sea,  and  the  temperature  in  Jamestown  is  about 
ten  degrees  higher.  Neither  of  the  extremes  are  oppressive,  but 
when  one  has  lived  much  in  the  tropics  it  is  felt  to  be  decidedly 
chilly  with  the  thermometer  at  fifty-two ;  and  sometimes  when 
the  trades  are  light  an  eddy  sweeps  up  into  James  Valley,  which, 
for  a  few  hours,  produces  an  oppressively  hot  vitiated  atmosphere. 

The  island  was  discovered  by  Juan  de  Nova  Castella,  com- 
mander of  a  Portuguese  fleet  returning  from  India,  on  the  2l8t 
of  May,  1501,  the  anniversary  of  Saint  Helena,  mother  of  the 
Emperor  Constantine.  In  1513  a  disgraced  Portuguese  nobleman 
landed  on  the  island,  and  with  a  few  negro  slaves  formed  the  first 
settlement.  The  Portuguese  abandoned  it  some  years  later,  and 
in  1645  it  was  colonized  by  the  Dutch,  who  deserted  it  in  1651, 
and,  in  the  same  year,  the  English  East  India  Company  perma- 
nently settled  it.  In  1655  they  built  Fort  James  on  the  site  of 
"  The  Castle,"  from  which  James  Valley  and  Jamestown  received 
their  names. 

The  Dutch  then  regretted  having  abandoned  St.  Helena,  and  in 
1672  sent  a  force  to  retake  it.  Their  first  attack  at  Lemon's 
Valley  was  repulsed  by  quantities  of  stone  rolled  down  upon  them 
from  the  mountains  on  each  side  of  the  ravine,  but  they  subse- 
quently effected  a  landing  at  Bennett's  Point  on  the  western  shore 
and  gained  the  heights  of  the  interior,  and  thence  marched  to 
Ladder  Hill,  which  rendered  further  resistance  useless  and  obliged 
the  English  to  evacuate.  The  latter  sailed  for  Brazil,  whence 
they  fell  in  with  three  English  cruisers,  "  Assistance,"  "  Levant," 
and  "  Castle,"  with  which  they  returned  to  St.  Helena  in  May, 
1673.  A  force  of  two  hundred  men  was  landed  at  Prosperous 
Bay,  on  the  windward  side  of  the  island,  just  below  Longwood. 
Guided  by  a  slave  named  Black  Oliver,  one  of  the  men  managed 
to  climb  up  the  side  of  the  precipitous  rocks  and  sent  down  a 
hauling  line  for  a  rope,  by  means  of  which  the  entire  command 
gained  the  summit.  The  tradition  is  that  the  bold  sailor  who 
climbed  the  hill  was  encouraged  by  the  men  below,  who  shouted 


284  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

"  Hold  fast,  Tom !"  and  the  place  has  ever  since  been  called 
"  Holdfast  Tom."  The  party  then  proceeded  towards  Jamestown, 
while  Sir  Richard  Munden,  in  command  of  the  squadron,  appeared 
in  front  of  the  town  and  compelled  the  Dutch  governor  to  surren- 
der. The  British  East  India  Company  then  received  a  second 
grant  of  the  island,  and  retained  it  until  April,  1834,  when  it 
was  transferred  to  the  British  government,  though  during  the  five 
yearn  of  Napoleon's  captivity  on  the  island  the  government  was 
administered  by  an  oflBcer  appointed  by  the  British  crown. 

All  the  interest  attached  to  the  island  centres  in  the  fact  of  its 
having  been  the  place  where  Napoleon  passed  the  last  days  of  his 
most  remarkable  life.  The  incidents  mentioned  in  the  records  are 
merely  trivial  anecdotes  connected  with  the  local  government,  the 
growth  of  the  colony,  the  construction  of  churches,  forts,  and 
other  buildings,  with  notices  of  slight  shocks  of  earthquake  in 
1756,  1782,  1817,  and  1864. 

Volumes  have  been  written  respecting  the  treatment  of  Napo- 
leon from  July,  1815,  when,  on  board  the  "  Bellerophon,"  he  re- 
ceived the  first  intimation  that  the  allies  intended  to  send  him  to 
St.  Helena,  until  his  remains  were  received  on  board  the  French 
frigate  "  Belle  Poule"  on  the  15th  of  October,  1840,  but  it  will 
be  interesting  to  review  some  of  those  events,  especially  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  old  inhabitants,  not  generally  known. 

After  the  battle  of  Waterloo  the  Emperor  Napoleon  Bonaparte 
returned  to  Paris,  abdicated  the  imperial  throne,  and  proceeded  to 
Rochefort,  where  he  voluntarily  went  on  board  the  "  Bellerophon" 
and  surrendered  to  the  English.  The  allies  then  decided  to  send 
him  to  St.  Helena,  where  he  arrived  in  the  "  Northumberland" 
on  the  15th  of  October,  1815.  He  landed  at  Jamestown  the 
next  day,  and  was  accompanied  by  General  and  Madame  Ber- 
trand  and  three  children.  General  and  Madame  Month olon  and 
two  children.  Count  Las  Cases  and  his  son.  General  Gourgaud, 
Captain  Protowskoi,  and  Dr.  O'Meara.  He  also  had  eleven  male 
servants  holding  various  appointments  in  the  household,  first  and 


THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  285 

second  valets  de  chambre,  first  and  second  stewards,  etc.,  and  one 
female  cook,  an  English  gardener,  twelve  soldiers  as  servants,  and 
the  servants  of  the  generals,  so  that  in  all  the  establishment  num- 
bered fifty-five  persons. 

Napoleon  proceeded  to  a  house  adjoining  the  public  gardens  on 
the  left  of  the  main  street  in  Jamestown,  where  he  passed  the 
first  night,  and  early  the  next  morning  rode  out  to  Longwood  to 
see  the  place  which  had  been  selected  for  his  residence.  Long- 
wood  is  situated  in  the  central  zone,  about  five  miles  by  road  from 
Jamestown.  It  overlooks  the  sea  at  Prosperous  Bay,  and  is  in  an 
unsheltered  position  on  the  windward  side  of  the  island.  The 
house  was  built  in  1743  under  Governor  Dunbar,  and  intended 
for  a  barn.  It  was  subsequently  converted  into  a  residence  for 
the  lieutenant-governor,  and  was  vacated  by  him  for  the  illustrious 
exile.  The  small  bleak  cottage  needed  considerable  repairs  before 
it  could  be  made  a  suitable  residence,  and  when  Napoleon  rode 
back  he  expressed  a  wish  to  stop  at  "  The  Briers"  and  avoid  the 
annoyance  of  the  crowd  of  people  who  awaited  his  return  to  town. 
The  request  was  granted,  and  the  proprietor,  Mr.  Balcombe,  ar- 
ranged a  pavilion  attached  to  the  estate  for  his  accommodation. 
This  pavilion  was  too  small  to  accommodate  any  more  of  his  staflF 
than  Count  Las  Cases  and  his  son,  who  occupied  one  of  two 
rooms  in  a  little  attic  over  the  only  room  on  the  ground-floor. 
Napoleon  occupied  a  camp-bed,  and  was  obliged  to  submit  to  many 
discomforts.  A  tent  was  rigged  in  front  of  the  pavilion,  to  which 
his  bed  was  removed  shortly  afterwards. 

Mr.  Balcombe  and  his  family  showed  their  illustrious  guest 
every  attention,  and  as  his  two  daughters  were  well  educated 
and  spoke  French  fluently.  Napoleon  became  much  attached  to 
the  family,  and  often  amused  himself  in  the  boyish  games  of  Mr. 
Balcombe's  sons.  One  of  the  daughters.  Miss  Betsy,  published 
"  Recollections  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon,"  which  contains  many 
anecdotes  of  that  period.  Miss  Betsy  was  a  very  lively  young 
lady,  and,  on  one  occasion,  while  fencing  with  Napoleon,  succeeded 

19 


286  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

in  pioDing  him  with  a  sword  in  one  corner  of  the  room.     Tho 
world's  conqueror  conquered  by  a  woman. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  Admiral  Cockbum  had,  by  em- 
ploying carpenters  and  men  from  the  ship,  completed  the  repairs 
at  Longwood,  to  which  Napoleon  removed  on  the  9th  of  Decem- 
ber. Longwood  was  distasteful  to  Napoleon  from  the  first.  The 
reflection  that  he  was  to  pass  the  rest  of  his  life  there,  and  that 
every  precaution  short  of  force,  and  by  force,  if  necessary,  would 
be  taken  to  keep  him  there,  that  every  movement  would  be 
watched  by  sentries,  and  that  escape  would  be  impossible,  would 
have  marred  the  beauties  of  the  most  luxurious  palace  in  the 
world ;  but,  added  to  the  forbidding  aspect  of  the  barren  ridges, 
heavy,  chilly  rain-storms  frequently  prevailed,  which  had  a  most 
depressing  influence,  so  that  no  wonder  the  small,  inconvenient 
house  of  Longwood  was  so  much  disliked  by  the  illustrious  pris- 
oner, who,  a  short  time  before,  had  given  away  kingdoms  to  his 
brothers  and  favorite  generals.  The  house  at  Longwood  was  a 
low,  rambling,  wainscoted  building,  its  plan  being  in  shape  like 
the  letter  T.  The  main  entrance  (at  the  foot  of  the  T)  led  into 
an  anteroom,  which  had  three  windows  on  the  west  or  lee  side. 
This  room  opened  into  the  saloon,  back  of  which  were  the  rooms 
of  the  main  building,  with  dining-room  and  library  on  the  left, 
and  two  bedrooms  (one  being  an  office)  on  the  right.  A  bath- 
room adjoined  back  of  end  bedroom,  then  a  small  waiting-room,  a 
passage,  and  the  kitchen.  A  billiard-room  adjoined  back  of  these 
rooms.  Napoleon  occupied  six  rooms, — saloon,  dining-room,  office, 
library,  bedroom,  and  bath-room.  The  attic,  access  to  which  was 
gained  by  small  stairs  in  rear  of  dining-room,  and  other  rooms  in 
this  and  adjoining  buildings,  were  occupied  by  his  suite ;  but  some 
of  the  latter  had  to  occupy  tents,  and  the  Count  and  Countess 
Bcrtrand  were  lodged  in  a  small  house  at  Hutt's  Gate,  about  a 
mile  from  Longwood. 

Specific  charges  were  made  against  Admiral  Cockbum  as  soon 
M  the  arrangements  for  the  security  and  comfort  of  Napoleon  and 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  287 

his  household  were  completed,  in  which  Napoleon  protested  against 
the  manner  in  which  this  arduous  duty  was  performed.  These 
charges  were  refuted  by  the  admiral,  and  all  complaints  against 
the  quality  and  quantity  of  articles  supplied  for  the  household 
were  promptly  attended  to.  Napoleon  must  have  seen  the  neces- 
sity for  the  measures  taken  for  his  security,  and  tacitly  acquiesced, 
although  he  openly  protested  against  them. 

On  the  14th  of  April,  1816,  Sir  Hudson  Lowe  arrived,  and  re- 
lieved Colonel  Wilks  as  governor  of  the  island.  One  of  his  first 
acts  was  to  send  word  to  Napoleon  that  he  would  call  at  Long- 
wood  on  the  16th  to  pay  his  respects.  Sir  Hudson  arrived  at 
Longwood  with  Admiral  Cockburn  and  staff  about  nine  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  an  hour  when  the  governor  must  have  known  that 
Napoleon  was  not  in  the  habit  of  receiving  any  one.  He  was 
told  that  the  emperor  was  indisposed  and  could  not  see  him,  but 
appointed  the  next  day  between  one  and  five  p.m.  for  an  interview. 
The  governor  then  returned  and  made  his  visit,  accompanied  as 
before,  at  four  o'clock  the  next  day.  On  the  governor  being  called 
for  by  the  attending  officer.  Sir  Hudson  Lowe  rather  abruptly  en- 
tered the  apartment,  where  Napoleon  stood  to  receive  him,  while 
the  admiral,  who  was  to  present  him,  did  not  reach  the  door  until 
after  it  was  closed  by  the  attendant,  and  was  then  refused  admit- 
tance. This,  though  trivial  under  other  circumstances,  should  not 
have  occurred,  and  gave  rise  to  correspondence  and  official  inter- 
views for  some  time.  Authorities  differ  as  to  Napoleon's  view  of 
the  insult  to  the  admiral.  Las  Cases  says  that  Napoleon  was  de- 
lighted with  the  attendant's  promptitude  in  shutting  the  door  in 
face  of  the  admiral ;  while  Count  Montholon  states  that  Napoleon 
was  vexed  at  the  oversight,  and  requested  his  regrets  for  the  cir- 
cumstance to  be  communicated  to  Admiral  Cockburn.  The  in- 
terview was  unsatisfactory  to  both  parties,  and  left  a  disagreeable 
impression.  Napoleon  could  not  divest  himself  of  the  idea  of  his 
having  been  an  emperor,  and  such  an  emperor,  while  the  governor 
felt  as  a  military  man  to  whom,  as  such,  the  safe  custody  of  the 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

illostrioufi  exile  was  committed,  and  that  everything  depended 
upon  his  fidelity  to  the  trust. 

A  few  days  afterwards  a  document  was  received  from  the  gov- 
ernor, which,  in  accordance  with  instructions  from  England,  re- 
quired all  the  members  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte's  suite  and  domes- 
tic establishment  who  wished  to  remain  at  St.  Helena  to  sign  a 
declaration  that  they  were  willing  to  be  placed  under  the  same 
refltrictions  which  it  might  be  considered  necessary  to  adopt  towards 
Napoleon  Bonaparte  personally.  Napoleon  was  very  much  vexed  at 
being  designated  as  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  which  in  this  document 
appeared  studiedly  a  second  time.  The  officers  were  annoyed  by  its 
tenor,  which  implied  a  doubt  on  their  devotion  to  Napoleon ;  and 
they  and  the  servants  signed  a  paper  in  which  they  declared  their 
intention  of  continuing  "  in  the  service  of  His  Majesty  the  Emperor 
Napoleon,  however  frightful  remaining  in  St.  Helena  might  be, 
and  of  submitting  to  whatever  unjust  and  arbitrary  restrictions 
had  been  placed  over  His  Majesty  and  the  persons  in  his  service." 

Shortly  after  this  the  British  officer  who  had  orders  to  person- 
ally see  Napoleon  twice  daily,  reported  that  he  had  not  been  able 
to  do  80  on  the  day  before.  The  governor  then  visited  Longwood, 
and  was  admitted.  He  found  that  Napoleon  had  been  ill  the  day 
before  and  was  still  suffering.  Napoleon  complained  of  the  treat- 
ment he  was  receiving ;  was  dissatisfied  with  the  orders  and  regu- 
lations of  the  governor  respecting  his  being  always  accompanied 
by  an  officer,  and  objected  to  the  limited  space  allowed  him  for 
exercise.  His  manner  was  not  so  abrupt  on  this  occasion,  but 
some  unpleasant  correspondence  took  place  after  the  interview, 
and  the  following  orders  were  issued : 

1.  That  General  Bonaparte  should  indicate  twice  daily,  to  the 
officer  appointed  for  the  purpose,  his  actual  presence  at  the  house 
either  by  personal  interview  or  other  certain  means. 

2.  All  communication  between  Napoleon's  household  and  the 
inhabitants  of  Jamestown  was  prohibited,  except  through  a  person 
appointed  by  the  governor. 


THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  289 

3.  That  no  person  should  have  an  interview  with  Napoleon 
without  the  governor's  permission. 

A  proclamation  was  issued  warning  the  people  against  convey- 
ing any  letters  to  or  from  members  of  Napoleon's  household,  as 
all  correspondence  must  pass  through  the  governor's  hands. 

About  this  time  the  wife  of  the  governor-general  of  India 
stopped  at  St.  Helena,  and,  in  order  to  gratify  her  wish  to  see  the 
wonderful  exile,  the  governor  invited  Napoleon  to  dinner  at  "  The 
Plantation,"  to  which  invitation  Napoleon  gave  no  reply.  The 
breach  continued  to  widen  between  the  governor  and  Napoleon, 
and  no  improvement  took  place  in  their  position  towards  each 
other.  Napoleon  was  permitted  to  walk  or  ride  alone  or  with  his 
staff  within  an  area  of  about  twelve  miles  in  circumference,  com- 
prising the  Longwood  and  Deadwood  estates ;  but  beyond  this 
limit  he  was  always  to  be  followed  by  an  officer,  who  was  ordered 
never  to  lose  sight  of  him  for  a  single  instant.  The  Fifty-third 
Regiment  was  encamped  on  the  plain  at  Deadwood,  sentries  were 
posted  all  around,  and  signal  stations  established  all  over  the 
island,  so  that  every  movement  was  constantly  observed  and  re- 
ported to  the  governor.  At  night  the  sentries  were  drawn  in  so 
close  that  no  person  could  pass  between  them  without  being  seen, 
and  Napoleon  was  never  allowed  to  leave  the  house  after  nine 
P.M.  without  being  accompanied  by  a  field-oflScer.  Batteries  and 
forts  were  built  all  round  the  coast,  two  cruising-vessels  of  the 
English  navy  cruised  around  the  island,  starting  from  Jamestown, 
every  night  in  opposite  directions.  A  line-of-battle  ship  lay  off 
Jamestown,  with  the  fastest  frigate  in  the  British  navy  to  take 
Napoleon  off  in  case  of  an  attack  by  a  fleet,  and  every  precaution 
was  taken  to  render  escape  impossible. 

The  expense  of  Napoleon's  household  was  at  first  estimated  at 
eight  thousand  pounds  a  year,  but  this  was  found  insufficient  and 
increased  to  twelve  thousand  pounds,  and  even  then  Napoleon  had 
some  of  his  silver  plate  broken  up  and  sold,  with  some  display,  in 
order  to  meet  their  expenses. 


290  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

It  had  been  decided  to  build  a  more  suitable  residence,  and  the 
necessary  framework,  prepared  in  England,  arrived  in  May,  1816. 
The  governor  called  on  Napoleon  to  ascertain  his  wishes  about  the 
building,  but  the  interview  was  so  unpleasant  that  he  left  without 
having  obtained  the  information ;  and  also  without  having  been 
able  to  present  an  English  major-general,  whom  he  had  taken 
with  him  for  that  purpose.  This  was  the  last  interview  with  the 
governor.  The  house  was  erected,  and  was  fairly  suited  for  the 
requirements  of  a  large  family  accustomed  to  the  luxuries  and  re- 
finements of  fortune  and  rank ;  but  Napoleon  never  occupied  it. 
He  preferred  to  be  considered  a  martyr,  and  did  not  wish  any 
mercy  from  his  enemies.  An  expensive  iron  railing  was  erected 
around  the  garden,  which  was  especially  disagreeable,  and  its 
removal  was  ordered,  but  postponed  during  Napoleon's  last  illness. 

Napoleon  did  not  pass  his  time  in  idleness,  even  when  depen- 
dent on  himself  for  employment.  He  usually  retired  to  rest  at 
ten  or  half-past,  and  arose,  on  finding  himself  refreshed  with 
sleep,  without  regard  to  the  hour.  An  hour  or  so  would  be 
passed  in  dictating  portions  of  his  former  career  to  General  Mon- 
tholon  or  some  other  attendant  general.  If  the  weather  per- 
mitted, he  would  walk  outside  the  house  for  a  short  time.  At 
ten  he  breakfasted,  either  alone  or  with  some  one  or  more  of  his 
suit^.  In  the  afternoon  he  read  or  dictated  and  oft^n  went  out 
riding,  his  favorite  resort  being  at  a  spring  at  the  head  of  the 
valley,  below  the  western  edge  of  the  Longwood  plateau.  Here 
he  used  to  sit  and  read  under  a  willow-tree,  and  on  one  occasion 
is  said  to  have  fallen  asleep  there  and  to  have  dreamt  that 
Josephine  was  lying  in  front  of  him  at  that  very  spot ;  so  that  on 
awakening  he  requested  that  after  his  death,  if  they  should  de- 
cide to  bury  him  on  the  island,  he  wanted  to  be  buried  in  that 
spot  until  his  remains  could  be  taken  to  France.  His  daily  rou- 
tine of  life  was  subject  to  but  little  variation,  and  at  eight  p.m. 
he  usually  dined  with  such  members  of  his  suite  as  had  been 
notified  to  attend.     Games  of  chess  or  whist  followed,  then  read- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  291 

ing  aloud  and  general  conversation  until  bedtime.  The  little 
household  observed  all  the  etiquette  of  an  imperial  court.  Napo- 
leon was  exceedingly  particular  in  all  the  minutiae  of  the  toilet, 
and  was  himself  scrupulously  clean  and  particular.  In  the  morn- 
ing he  wore  a  light-colored  dressing-gown  and  loose  trousers,  after 
breakfast  a  green  uniform  coat,  with  the  ribbon  and  cross  of  the 
Legion  of  Honor,  white  breeches,  silk  stockings,  and  light  thin 
shoes,  and  his  odd  cocked  hat  across  the  head. 

December  30,  1816,  Count  Las  Cases  and  his  son  were  de- 
ported from  Longwood  and  sent  to  the  Cape,  for  having  tried  to 
send  letters  to  Europe  by  private  conveyance.  This  attempt  was 
made  by  a  letter  in  cipher  on  a  piece  of  white  satin  which  was 
sewed  in  the  waistcoat  of  a  servant-boy  named  Scott.  The  boy 
got  frightened  at  his  dangerous  undertaking  and  told  his  father, 
who  managed  to  save  his  son's  life  by  taking  him  to  the  gov- 
ernor and  revealing  the  circumstance.  Scott  was  then  sent  to  As- 
cension. Napoleon  must  have  felt  the  departure  of  Las  Cases 
keenly,  but  he  did  not  protest  against  it  as  much  as  was  expected. 

Napoleon's  health  began  to  decline  in  November,  1817,  and  his 
gloomy  disposition  did  not  encourage  his  physician  in  his  efforts 
to  cure  him.  Dr.  O'Meara  was  detailed  from  the  *'  Northumber- 
land" to  attend  Napoleon  when  he  first  landed,  and  he  became 
very  much  attached  to  his  patient.  In  July,  1818,  Dr.  O'Meara 
most  unexpectedly  received  orders,  in  accordance  with  instructions 
from  England,  that  his  duties  as  physician  to  Napoleon  should 
cease  immediately,  and  that  he  should  leave  Longwood  without 
holding  any  communication  with  its  inmates.  The  doctor  hesi- 
tated to  comply,  but  opposition  was  useless,  and,  after  packing  his 
effects,  he  had  an  interview  with  Napoleon  and  left.  It  is  said 
that  the  doctor  had  been  detected  in  forwarding  correspondence ; 
at  all  events,  he  was  sent  to  England  and  dismissed  from  the  Eng- 
lish navy.  Dr.  O'Meara  published  an  account  of  Napoleon's 
exile  in  "  A  Voice  from  St.  Helena,"  in  which  he  justifies  his  last 
visit  to  Napoleon  as  being  absolutely  necessary  for  him  to  pre- 


292  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

scribe  for  his  patient.  Dr.  Verling,  a  surgeon  of  the  artillery, 
WM  appointed  to  attend  Napoleon,  but  the  latter  declined  to  see 
him,  and  though  he  remained  an  inmate  at  Longwood  for  over  a 
year,  he  never  was  admitted  to  an  interview  with  the  emperor. 

Among  other  annoyances,  Napoleon's  little  court  began  to  quar- 
rel, and  old  issues  were  revived  between  the  Generals  Bertrand, 
Montholon,  and  Gourgaud.  The  families  of  the  two  first  named 
rarely  spoke,  and  General  Gourgaud's  dispute  almost  resulted  in 
a  duel  with  Montholon.  In  1818,  Gourgaud's  position  became 
such  that  he  felt  obliged  to  leave  St.  Helena.  Countess  Mon- 
tholon also  left  St.  Helena  in  July,  1819,  on  account  of  ill  health, 
and  her  departure  affected  Napoleon  a  great  deal,  because  he  was 
much  attached  to  her. 

In  January,  1819,  Napoleon  had  a  serious  attack  of  vertigo, 
and  Dr.  Stokoe,  surgeon  of  the  ship  "  Conqueror,"  then  at  anchor 
in  the  roads,  was  called  in,  and  an  application  was  made  that  Br. 
Stokoe  should  be  appointed  permanently,  but  the  admiral  would 
not  consent.  In  September,  1819,  a  vessel  arrived  with  two 
priests,  appointed  by  the  Pope,  and  Professor  Antommarchi, 
selected  for  Napoleon's  medical  adviser  by  his  uncle.  Cardinal 
Fesch ;  some  other  persons  destined  for  subordinate  positions  in 
the  household  arrived  at  the  same  time. 

Shortly  after  this  a  great  change  came  over  Napoleon's  habits. 
He  began  to  amuse  himself  by  working  in  the  garden.  Here  he 
worked  with  his  own  hands,  making  flower-beds  in  one  part,  veg- 
etable garden  in  another,  and  embankments.  He,  however,  soon 
wearied  of  mere  gardening :  the  little  garden  mounds  changed  their 
character  and  reflected  the  ruling  passion  of  the  exile,  in  models 
o!  parapets  and  breastworks,  by  means  of  which  he  explained  the 
theories  of  attack  and  defence, — one  day  he  would  design  and 
construct  a  means  of  defence  which  should  puzzle  an  invading 
force  most  decidedly,  and  the  next  he  would  show  how  to  demolish 
the  works  in  a  very  few  minutes.  He  also  constructed  a  fish- 
pond and  irrigating  works,  and  took  great  delight  in  the  encroach- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  293 

ments  of  cattle  upon  his  vegetable  garden.  Napoleon  was  gener- 
ally pleased  to  receive  visitors,  and  a  great  many  captains  of 
vessels,  passengers,  etc.,  who  stopped  at  St.  Helena,  were  granted 
permission  by  the  governor  to  call  and  pay  their  respects  to  the 
illustrious  exile.  Notwithstanding  the  great  precautions  to  pre- 
vent his  escape,  a  number  of  plots  are  said  to  have  been  formed, 
and  one  or  more  are  said  to  have  been  almost  successful.  The 
captain  of  an  American  whaler  is  said  to  have  organized  a  plot 
which  almost  succeeded.  He  managed  to  have  a  boat  in  readiness 
at  Prosperous  Bay,  but  by  some  strange  fatuity  the  sentries  were 
doubled  at  the  house  that  night,  and  the  boat  had  barely  time  to 
get  back  to  the  whaler  before  the  cruiser  came  around  and  gave 
chase.  There  was  a  Chinaman  employed  at  Longwood,  who  used 
to  carry  some  provisions  from  Jamestown,  and  who  resembled 
Napoleon  in  features,  stature,  and  walk  to  such  a  remarkable 
extent  that  the  governor  had  him  sent  oflF  the  island,  for  fear 
that  he  might  exchange  clothes  and  personate  Napoleon  until  he 
should  have  effected  his  escape. 

In  April,  1821,  Napoleon's  disease  assumed  alarming  symp- 
toms. Dr.  Arnott  was  called  in  to  consult  with  Professor  Antom- 
marehi,  but  the  illustrious  invalid  never  rallied,  and,  after  a  severe 
struggle,  died  on  the  5th  of  May,  1821.  A  gale  of  wind  set  in  on 
the  day  before,  which  was  very  violent  on  the  5th ;  many  trees 
were  blown  down, — a  most  unusual  occurrence  in  St.  Helena, — 
and  it  is  probable  the  dying  man's  last  moments  were  influenced 
by  the  noise  of  the  storm,  which  suggested  to  his  fading  mind  the 
strife  of  battle  :  his  last  words  were  "  T^te  d'arm^e."  A  post-mor- 
tem examination  on  the  6th  revealed  the  cause  of  death  to  have 
been  from  an  ulcerated  stomach.  Napoleon  was  born  on  August 
15,  1769,  and  was  fifty-one  years  eight  months  and  twenty  days 
of  age  when  he  died.  His  remains  were  laid  in  state  and  viewed 
by  all  the  inhabitants  of  Jamestown,  both  white  and  black,  the  latter 
holding  him  in  special  reverence,  chiefly  because  he  had  brought 
about  the  abolition  of  slavery  on  the  island  of  St.  Helena.     A 


294  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

plaster  of  Paris  cast  of  his  face  was  taken,  and  on  the  8th  his 
remains  were  buried  at  the  head  of  the  valley,  which  had  been  his 
favorite  resort.  The  frineral  was  conducted  with  all  possible  cere- 
mony and  military  honor,  and  his  coffin  was  deposited  in  a  vault 
secured  by  large  blocks  of  stone,  cramped  and  joined  together  by 
bars  of  iron  run  with  lead. 

Napoleon's  will  was  opened  on  the  12th  of  May,  in  which  he 
bequeathed  legacies  to  the  amount  of  six  millions  of  francs  to  his 
officers  and  favorite  servants  and  attendants ;  and  left  directions 
for  the  disposal  of  his  private  domains,  which  he  estimated  at  two 
hundred  million  francs.  He  also  requested  in  his  will  that  his 
remains  might  ultimately  be  deposited  on  the  banks  of  the  Seine, 
in  the  midst  of  his  beloved  French  people. 

Among  the  curious  incidents  related  by  an  old  inhabitant,  from 
whase  account  in  verse  a  number  of  interesting  aneicdotes  have 
been  copied  in  this  article,  it  is  said  that  when  Napoleon  was 
buried  the  ship  "  Waterloo"  and  bark  **  La  Belle  Alliance"  were 
both  at  anchor  at  Jamestown,  and  that  some  of  the  sailors  who 
assisted  at  the  burial  wore  the  ribbons  with  the  name  of  their  ship, 
"  Waterloo,"  on  their  caps. 

On  May  27,  1821,  the  Count  and  Countess  Bertrand,  Count 
Montholon,  Professor  Antommarchi,  the  priests,  and  all  the  per- 
sons connected  with  the  late  household,  left  St.  Helena  in  the 
store-ship  "  Camel,"  and  the  exile  of  Napoleon  became  an  event  of 
the  past. 

During  the  exile  the  Longwood  estate  and  other  properties  were, 
for  the  time  being,  leased  by  the  British  government ;  but  at  the 
departure  of  Sir  Hudson  Lowe  in  July,  1821,  the  East  India  Com- 
pany resumed  control  of  the  island.  The  Longwood  estate  then 
reverted  to  its  original  purpose  as  a  country  farm,  and  the  house 
was  used  as  a  barn  and  stable  by  the  company,  which  use  accorded 
with  their  ideas  of  "  business"  much  better  than  the  finer  feel- 
ings of  human  culture,  which  would  reverence  the  abiding-place 
of  one  of  the  world's  greatest  heroes.     In  1834  the  island  again 


THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  295 

came  into  possession  of  the  British  government  as  a  colony  of 
England. 

In  1840  the  French  government  applied  to  Great  Britain  to 
sanction  the  removal  of  Napoleon's  remains  to  the  "  Hotel  des  In- 
valides"  in  Paris,  and  every  preparation  was  made  for  conducting 
the  proceedings  in  a  becoming  manner. 

On  the  8th  of  October  the  French  frigate  "  Belle  Poule,"  com- 
manded by  the  Prince  de  Joinville,  third  son  of  the  King  of  the 
French,  and  corvette  "  Favorite,"  arrived  at  St.  Helena  to  take  the 
body  to  France.  A  number  of  other  vessels  of  both  the  French  and 
English  navies  had  arrived  previously.  The  distinguished  French 
officials  were  received  with  royal  honors  by  the  military  and  naval 
forces  of  St.  Helena.  Preparations  were  then  made  for  the  re- 
moval of  the  remains,  and  at  one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
October  15,  1840,  the  day  on  which  twenty-five  years  before  Na- 
poleon had  arrived  at  St.  Helena,  the  work  of  disinterment  was 
commenced.  The  work  was  attended  with  considerable  difficulty, 
owing  to  the  manner  in  which  the  tomb  was  sealed,  but  at  nine 
A.M.  the  coffin  was  raised  and  removed  to  a  tent,  where  the  remains 
were  identified  by  Generals  Bertrand  and  Gourgaud,  Baron  Las 
Cases,  and  others  who  had  shared  Napoleon's  exile,  and  the  body 
was  found  to  have  changed  but  little  since  it  had  been  buried  twenty 
years  before. 

The  funeral  ceremonies  were  very  imposing,  and  every  mark  of 
respect  was  paid  by  the  inhabitants  and  local  authorities.  The 
French  had  made  elaborate  preparations  and  brought  a  magnifi- 
cent sarcophagus  made  of  ebony,  with  the  word  "  Napoleon"  in  gilt 
letters,  to  contain  the  metallic  casket  with  the  remains.  Minute- 
guns  were  fired  by  the  forts  and  men-of-war  during  the  entire 
funeral,  and  the  ceremony  of  high  mass  was  impressively  performed 
by  the  Abb6  Coquereau,  when  the  casket  was  deposited  in  a  little 
chapel  which  was  built  on  the  gun-deck  of  the  frigate  "  Belle 
Poule."  This  chapel  was  upholstered  with  solemn  gorgeousness, 
the  sides  and  ceiling  being  lined  with  black  velvet,  studded  with 


296  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

silver  stars,  and  illuminated  with  elegant  candelabra.  Thus  every 
possible  honor  was  rendered  to  the  remains  of  the  late  illustrious 
exiled  emperor  by  the  representatives  of  both  governments.  Oc- 
tober 18  the  "  Belle  Poule"  and  "  Favorite"  sailed  for  France. 

When  the  Prince  de  Joinville  and  the  French  officers  visited 
LoDgwood  they  found  the  house  in  a  most  dilapidated  condition. 
The  rooms  in  which  Napoleon  had  passed  about  five  years  of  his 
life  were  sheds  for  farming  implements,  and  the  apartment  in 
which  ho  died  was  a  mill  for  threshing  or  winnowing  grain  ;  while 
cattle-sheds  and  piggeries  made  up  the  remainder  of  the  farming 
establishment  into  which  Longwood  had  been  converted. 

Longwood  has  always  been  of  the  greatest  interest  to  all  who 
have  stopped  at  St.  Helena,  and  in  its  dilapidated  condition  it  has 
been  visited  and  worshipped  as  a  holy  shrine  would  be  by  numbers 
of  French  and  other  visitors.  The  walls  were  almost  covered  by 
the  names  and  initials  of  hundreds  of  visitors,  some  of  whom  re- 
corded their  opinion  of  the  disgraceful  condition  of  the  premises. 

In  1858  negotiations  were  entered  into  between  the  French  and 
English  governments,  which  resulted  in  the  cession  of  the  spot  on 
which  the  tomb  is  situated  and  the  house  of  Longwood,  with  a 
small  portion  of  ground  attached  thereto,  which  became  enrolled 
among  the  private  domains  of  Napoleon  III.  The  French  legis- 
lature took  charge  of  the  renovation  and  restoration  of  the  old 
house  at  Longwood  to  its  former  state, — the  new  house  not  being 
included  in  the  transfer  of  the  property.  Measures  were  also 
taken  for  the  proper  preservation  of  the  tomb.  The  repairs  and 
renovations  were  executed  in  the  most  faithful  manner.  Every- 
thing was  done  in  order  to  make  the  outward  appearance  of  the 
house  conform  to  the  state  in  which  it  was  when  Napoleon  occu- 
pied it.  Patterns  of  the  wall-paper  had  been  preserved  and  were 
duplicated  in  France ;  but  the  bedrooms  had  been  covered  with 
yellow  nankin  to  absorb  the  dampness,  and  these  walls  had  to  be 
covered  with  yellow  paper  to  be  as  near  like  the  nankin  as  could 
be  imitated. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  TEE  BROOKLYN.  297 

Ever  since  then  an  oflBcer  of  the  French  government  has  been 
detailed  to  reside  at  St.  Helena  as  "  Guardian  of  the  Tomb,"  the 
present  incumbent  being  Mr.  L.  D.  C.  Morilleau,  "  Gardien  des 
Domaines  de  Longwood  et  du  Val  Napoleon — St.  Helena."  He 
resides  in  the  Longwood  "  New  House,"  and  he  and  his  family 
are  exceedingly  courteous  to  all  visitors  to  Longwood.  The  prop- 
erty belongs  to  the  heirs  of  Louis  Napoleon,  and  was  visited  in 
July,  1880,  by  his  widow,  the  Empress  Eugenie,  on  her  return 
from  a  visit  to  the  spot  where  her  son  was  killed  in  Zululand, 
South  Africa. 

A   VISIT  TO   LONGWOOD. 

During  the  "  Brooklyn's"  stay  in  port  every  oflScer  had  an 
opportunity  of  visiting  Longwood  ;  some  on  foot,  some  on  horseback, 
and  others  in  carriages,  which  were  hired  at  reasonable  rates  in 
Jamestown.  No  better  idea  of  the  present  condition  of  St. 
Helena  can  be  given  than  by  a  description  of  one  of  these  trips, 
which  was  made  with  Captain  Weaver  to  visit  the  former  residence 
and  tomb  of  Napoleon.  We  obtained  a  carriage  without  difficulty, 
and  then  rode  up  the  main  street  to  where  two  streets  branch  oflF, 
one  of  which  leads  to  the  direct  road  to  Longwood,  while  the 
other,  to  the  right,  is  more  properly  the  continuation  of  the  town 
up  the  valley.  We  chose  the  latter,  and  our  horse  was  led  up  the 
zigzag  road  on  the  precipitous  side  of  Ladder  Hill.  One  never 
drives  in  Jamestown,  but  a  boy  always  leads  the  horse,  except  in 
case  of  a  double  team,  when  a  postilion  rides  the  nigh  horse  and 
guides  the  other  by  bridle.  English  roads  are  generally  excellent, 
but  the  zigzags  on  all  the  hill-sides  of  St.  Helena  called  forth  de- 
cided admiration.  The  outer  edges  are  protected  by  stone  walls 
four  feet  high,  which  at  a  distance  look  like  lines  of  intrench- 
menta. 

After  a  series  of  windings  we  reached  the  top  of  Ladder  Hill, 
where  the  road  leads  by  the  Ladder  Hill  fort,  now  used  as  the 
main  barracks,  with  the  officers'  quarters  in  the  observatory  build- 
ing above  on  the  left.     The  ride  up  the  steep  hill  back  of  the 


298  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

fort  was  monotonous,  except  for  the  constantly  increasing  range  of 
vision,  behind  us  to  seaward,  as  the  summit  was  approached.  The 
ground  is  composed  of  volcanic  ashes  and  lava,  upon  which 
nothing  but  a  hardy  species  of  cactus  will  grow.  The  High 
Knoll,  then  being  converted  into  a  citadel,  occupies  the  extreme 
summit  of  the  hill,  afler  which  our  road  took  us  to  the  right  and 
into  the  vicinity  of  "  The  Plantation."  A  limitod  woodland  here 
afforded  refreshing  shade,  and  cultivated  gardens  gave  a  striking 
contrast  to  the  dreary  waste  land  through  which  we  had  just 
passed.  "The  Plantation  House"  is  beautifully  situated  and  ad- 
mirably adapted  for  the  residence  of  the  governor,  for  which  it 
was  originally  built  by  the  East  India  Company,  and  is  sufficiently 
described  as  a  comfortable  country  residence. 

Our  road  then  led  out  to  the  crest  of  the  hill,  from  which 
there  were  magnificent  views  of  fertile  valleys  between  and  among 
the  ravines.  The  waterfall  at  the  head  of  the  valley  was  picturesque, 
and  added  to  the  pleasing  variety  of  the  ever-changing  scenery. 
Here  and  there  a  pheasant  broke  cover  and  flew  over  our  heads 
and  inspired  a  wish  for  a  gun,  and  the  regret  that  the  kind  invi- 
tation to  join  a  hunting-party  (game  laws  being  strictly  enforced) 
with  some  of  St.  Helena's  hospitable  people  had  been  declined. 
We  next  found  ourselves  on  the  Cabbage-Tree  road,  which  was 
made  shortly  before  Napoleon's  death  to  extend  the  limits  within 
which  he  might  ride ;  and  at  a  certain  point  called  Lover's  Leap 
we  obtained  a  magnificent  view  of  Sandy  Bay  to  the  southeast, 
while  on  the  other  hand  the  valley  and  harbor  of  Jamestown  were 
in  plain  sight  to  the  northwest. 

Sandy  Bay  boasts  of  some  remarkable  natural  scenery,  among 
which  is  a  peculiar  pillar  of  basaltic  rock  known  as  "  Lot,"  who, 
by  the  way,  our  guide  informs  us,  "  was  no  kin  to  Napoleon." 
The  upper  part  of  this  valley  is  fertile,  but  beyond  that,  towards 
the  sea,  inaccessible  high  precipitous  ridges  with  most  fantastic 
outlines  of  rocks,  split  up  into  fissures  and  gorges,  appear  as  a 
chaos,  reminding  one  of  a  first  view  of  the  moon  through  a  tele- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  299 

scope.  Several  other  quaint,  isolated  pillars  crown  the  summit  of 
the  farthest  hill,  known  as  "  Lot's  Wife"  and  "  Daughters."  We 
then  took  the  road  towards  Longwood,  and  stopped  at  the  Trav- 
eller's Rest,  where  old  "  Tim"  came  out  and  suggested  refresh- 
ments. The  sauce  of  appetite  rendered  the  simple  repast  of  ham 
and  eggs,  fresh  country  bread,  and  cheese  and  beer  most  acceptable. 
In  a  few  minutes  our  carriage  took  us  to  Longwood,  where  we 
were  met  by  Mr.  Morilleau  and  his  charming  wife  and  daughters. 
We  were  then  conducted  into  the  barren  rooms  of  the  old  house, 
each  detail  of  which  was  carefully  explained  as  already  described. 
The  room  in  which  Napoleon  died  was  the  main  saloon,  to  which 
his  bed  was  removed  in  his  last  illness ;  and  the  exact  spot  occu- 
pied by  the  bed  is  now  enclosed  by  a  small  railing,  in  the  centre 
of  which  there  is  a  black  pedestal  surmounted  by  a  marble  bust 
of  the  Great  Emperor.  With  the  exception  of  a  mirror  opposite 
the  bust  the  rooms  used  by  the  illustrious  exile  are  all  perfectly 
bare,  and  induce  something  of  the  feeling  of  a  prisoner's  loneli- 
ness which  must  have  filled  the  exile's  mind.  All  the  surround- 
ings are  kept  as  nearly  like  to  what  they  were  as  possible ;  but  it 
seems  to  lack  a  more  fitting  monument.  In  this  connection  we 
remember  a  magnificent  work  of  art  in  Corcoran's  art-gallery  at 
Washington  by  Venancio  Vela,  representing  the  last  days  of  Na- 
poleon at  St.  Helena.  In  this  the  exile  is  represented  as  sitting 
in  a  chair,  supported  by  pillows  and  wrapped  in  the  bedclothes, 
with  a  map  of  Europe  in  his  lap.  Deep  thought  is  expressed  by 
the  sculptured  features,  and  seems  concentrated  upon  his  beloved 
France,  as  indicated  by  having  his  thumb  on  that  portion  of  the 
map.  This  admirable  piece  of  sculpture  in  pure  white  marble 
is  a  most  eloquent  memorial,  and  a  fac-simile  in  Longwood  Old 
House  would  have  a  most  appropriate  site.  We  saw  the  fish- 
pond and  garden,  and  carefully  inspected  the  entire  house,  after 
which  Mr.  Morilleau  took  us  into  the  billiard-room,  where  visitors 
register  their  names.  Our  host  then  invited  us  to  his  residence 
in  Longwood  New  House,  which  is  by  far  the  most  substantial  and 


300  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

commodious  building  on  the  island.  The  iron  railing  to  which 
Napoleon  objected  still  stands,  though  partly  hidden  by  the 
bushes.  We  were  entertained  by  Mr.  Morilleau's  family,  and 
were  shown  an  elegant  pin  presented  to  Mr.  Morilleau  by  the 
Empress  Eugenie  with  her  portrait,  when  she  visited  Longwood. 
With  profuse  thanks  for  the  kindness  shown  to  us,  we  bade  adieu 
and  drove  to  Napoleon's  Valley,  where  we  visited  the  tomb. 

This  spot  is  kept  in  excellent  order ;  large  flat  stone  slabs  cover 
the  vault,  which  is  enclosed  by  an  iron  railing.  Flower-beds  sur- 
round the  vault,  and  large  Norway  pines  cast  a  sombre  shadow  on 
the  premises.  The  famous  willow-tree  is  dead,  and  nothing  but  a 
portion  of  its  decayed  trunk  now  remains. 

Our  return  to  town  was  uneventful,  except  to  bring  more  forcibly 
to  mind  the  rapid  decay  of  the  resources  of  the  Island,  especially 
in  the  scarcity  of  trees.  The  island  at  one  time  abounded  in 
forest,  but  most  of  the  trees  have  been  cut  down ;  their  roots  sup- 
ported the  soil  on  the  steep  hill-sides,  which  is  now  being  washed 
away  and  leaves  barren  rocks  exposed  to  view. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

The  Return  to  Montevideo  from  St.  Helena — Events  of  the  Voyage — A  Visit 
to  Buenos  Ayros — Full  Description  of  the  City — The  Park  at  Palermo — 
The  Zoological  Garden — Amusing  Incident  at  the  Races — The  Street  Rail- 
roads in  Buenos  Ayres — The  Argentine  Naval  Academy — The  "  Nipsic's" 
Cruise  in  the  South  AtUntio. 

We  got  under  way  at  St.  Helena  at  daylight,  Tuesday,  May  6, 
and  all  that  day  were  engaged  in  the  turning  evolutions  for  compass 
obeervations.  Our  movements  must  have  appeared  very  erratic  to 
the  people  on  shore,  especially  the  young  ladies  who  stood  on  the 
beach  to  see  us  off.     Some  even  are  said  to  have  waded  out  some 


'yhrV^^ ' '"', 


"  Bonaparte  crotiged  the  ocean  to 
repair  to  his  final  exile,  regardless 
of  that  beaatiful  sky  which  delighted 
Colnnibus,  Vasco  de  Gania,  and  Camoens. 
Stretched  upon  the  ship's  stern,  he  per- 
ceived   not    that    nnknown    constellations 
were  sparkling  over  his  head.     His  powerful 
'glance,   for   the   first   time,  encountered   their 
rays.      What  to  faim   were  stars  whicli   he  had 
never  seen  from  his  bivouacs,  and  which  had  never 
Hbone    over   bis  empire?      Xevertheless,  not  one  ef 
them    has  failed   to   fulfil   its  destiny;    one-half  of  the 
firmament  spread   its  light  over  his  cradle,  the  other  half 
wai<  ree<Tved  to  illuminate  his  tomb."— Chateaubriand. 


MAPOLKOM'S    TOMB,  ST.   UELBNA. 


Page  MM. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  301 

distance,  half  expecting  that  when  we  pointed  in  towards  the  land 
it  was  our  intention  to  return  to  port.  We,  however,  continued 
turning,  and  after  finishing  the  evolution  in  the  afternoon  shaped 
our  course  for  the  mouth  of  the  river  Plate. 

The  "  trades"  were  remarkably  light  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
St.  Helena,  and  instead  of  blowing  a  fine  steady  southeast  breeze  it 
often  blew  in  gentle  airs  from  one  or  two  points  west  of  south. 
The  sea  was  smooth  and  the  weather  delightful  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  that  we  were  in  the  trade- wind  region.  After 
May  15,  when  we  had  reached  latitude  20°  38'  south  and  longitude 
18°  west,  we  began  to  experience  northerly  winds,  which,  though 
light,  seemed  to  be  something  unusual  for  the  latitudes.  West- 
erly winds  prevailed  after  the  20th  of  May,  and  for  the  week  fol- 
lowing we  were  frequently  headed  off  from  our  course,  which  was 
west-southwest  true  from  St.  Helena. 

The  light  airs  fell  to  calms,  and  an  occasional  shower  from  pass- 
ing clouds  marked  the  days  we  were  in  the  *'  doldrums."  As  we 
approached  still  nearer  the  river  Plate  ominous  clouds  rose  in  the 
southwest,  and  flashes  of  lightning  reminded  us  of  what  to  expect 
from  the  much-dreaded  "  pamperos"  when  we  should  return  to 
the  "Mount." 

There  was  nothing  unusual  to  mark  the  events  of  the  passage. 
Whales  were  frequently  in  sight,  but  at  those  times  whalers 
seemed  far  away,  although  there  were  plenty  constantly  cruising 
around  in  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Helena  Island.  On  board 
ship  daily  routine  drills  occupied  the  attention  of  the  officers  and 
men,  and  the  days  passed  pleasantly  and  comfortably  with  all. 
Towards  the  latter  part  salt  provisions  began  to  grow  wearisome, 
and  canned  meats  and  vegetables  seemed  to  lose  all  their  virtues. 
The  wind  having  failed  us  in  a  great  measure,  we  again  started 
fires  and  steamed  towards  the  river,  and  sighted  Point  Ignacio  at 
ten  A.M.,  Wednesday,  January  4.  A  fresh  breeze  was  prevailing 
in  the  river,  the  last  of  a  moderate  "  pampero,"  which  we  did  not 
encounter.     Lobos  Island  was  duly  passed  in  the  afternoon,  and 

20 


302  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

we  anchored  off  Flores  Island  that  night  in  order  to  have  target- 
praotioe  next  day. 

A  moderate  "  pampero"  with  rough  sea  prevailed  during  that 
night  and  the  next  forenoon,  so  that  we  did  not  have  the  target- 
practice  until  the  aflemoon.  Regulation  small-arm  targets  were, 
however,  suspended  from  the  ends  of  the  fore-topmast  studding- 
sail  booms,  and  all  the  divisions  were  exercised  with  the  Hotch- 
Idss  magazine-rifles.  The  targets  were  completely  riddled  afler 
the  firing,  notwithstanding  the  prevalence  of  the  fresh  southwest 
wind.  The  marines  used  the  converted  Springfield  rifle.  At 
eleven  we  got  under  way  and  steamed  in  towards  the  Mount,  which 
was  faintly  discerned  shortly  after  we  started.  The  drum  beat 
to  general  quarters  at  12.30,  immediately  before  which  a  regula- 
tion target  was  dropped  from  the  foreyard  arm.  The  practice 
commenced  at  eleven  hundred  yards  range,  six  shots  being  allowed 
for  each  of  the  broadside  guns  of  the  port  battery,  and  three  from 
the  60-pounder  breech-loading  rifle  on  the  forecastle.  After  two 
rounds  had  been  fired  from  the  broadside  battery,  we  exercised  at 
concentrated  firing,  all  the  guns  being  trained  on  the  target  and 
fired  simultaneously  at  the  word  of  command.  The  8-inch  rifle 
was  not  fired  in  this  exercise,  because  the  allowance  of  ammuni- 
tion for  target-practice  had  been  expended.  After  the  target- 
practice  was  finished  the  ship  was  heeled  to  six  degrees  to  star- 
board, and  the  required  compass  observations  were  made  by 
steaming  in  circles  for  azimuths  with  the  ship  heading  on  difier- 
ent  points.  These  observations  occupied  considerable  time,  and 
it  was  late  when  we  resumed  our  course  up  the  river  to  the  an- 
chorage off  the  town.  It  was  bright  moonlight  and  the  wind  had 
died  away  and  left  a  smooth  sea,  but  the  harbor  is  so  frequently 
blockaded  by  sunken  wrecks  that  it  required  careful  navigation 
to  take  the  "  Brooklyn"  to  our  anchorage  so  far  within  the  har- 
bor, especially  where  the  depth  of  water  is  scarcely  a  foot  more 
than  the  ship's  draught. 

The  "  Nipeic"  was  lying  quietly  at  anchor  when  we  arrived, 


THE  CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  303 

but  not  having  received  a  visit  from  the  health  officer,  we  did  not 
get  our  long-looked-for  mail  until  the  morning.  Letters  and 
papers  for  this  ship  had  been  accumulating  at  Montevideo  since 
last  January.  It  is  not  necessary  to  repeat  any  of  the  details  of 
the  news  we  received  ;  everything  had  passed  along  quietly,  and 
as  far  as  can  be  ascertained  none  of  this  ship's  company  have  re- 
ceived any  bad  news  from  home,  another  of  the  many  causes  we 
have  for  gratitude  in  connection  with  our  highly  successful  cruise 
to  Madagascar  and  return,  in  which  we  have  faithfully  accom- 
plished the  duty  assigned  to  us  and  have  gained  some  valuable 
experience  so  necessary  for  proficiency  in  the  navy. 

We  anchored  within  a  few  feet  of  the  very  spot  we  left  last 
September,  and  after  having  obtained  pratique  from  the  health 
officer  we  received  official  visits  from  the  commanding  officers  of 
the  Italian  ram  "  Scylla,"  the  Spanish  gunboat  "  Africa,"  and  the 
Brazilian  gunboat  "  Parnahyba."  The  ironclads  "  Los  Andes'* 
and  "  Sete  de  Setembro,"  which  we  had  almost  come  to  believe  a 
part  of  Montevideo,  had  left,  but  in  all  other  respects  no  change 
was  apparent  in  the  general  appearance  of  the  harbor. 

During  June,  1884,  the  "  Brooklyn"  remained  at  anchor  in 
the  harbor  of  Montevideo.  In  this  period  the  ship's  company  had 
general  liberty,  and  the  ship  was  coaled  and  provisioned  ready  for 
another  cruise.  The  seams  of  the  outside  planking  were  recalked, 
and  the  ship  put  in  an  excellent  condition  throughout.  The  sails 
had  been  a  weak  feature  in  our  equipment,  but  these  were  over- 
hauled, and  a  new  main-topsail  was  made,  with  which  we  would 
have  been  able  to  ride  out  any  gale  on  our  Atlantic  coast. 

In  the  mean  while  the  officers  saw  something  of  their  Monte- 
videan  friends,  and  some  of  these  had  become  very  dear.  It 
would  be  difficult  for  it  to  have  been  otherwise  in  view  of  the 
hospitable  manner  in  whicli  they  were  received  by  the  excellent 
citizens.  The  personal  relations  of  the  officers  with  the  good 
people  of  Montevideo  had  been  exceedingly  pleasant ;  they  could 
not  have  been  more  so  if  Montevideo  were  a  United  States  port, 


804  THE  CRUISE  OF  TEE  BROOKLYN. 

and  to  leave  it  without  much  prospect  of  a  return  on  this  cruise 
wag,  to  a  certain  extent,  like  leaving  our  own  country. 

The  members  of  the  English  Club  were  especially  courteous 
to  all  the  oflBcers,  and  in  resigning  the  privileges  so  hospitably 
accorded  by  them,  the  officers  of  the  '*  Brooklyn"  expressed  their 
meet  grateful  appreciation  of  this  kindness.  Mr.  William  D. 
Evans  proved  that  he  was  one  of  the  best  of  friends,  and  he  con- 
stantly did  everything  in  his  power  for  our  comfort  in  a  thousand 
and  one  little  acts  of  daily  solicitude,  for  which  we  cannot  find 
words  adequate  to  express  our  gratitude.  Officers  and  men  con- 
tinually spoke  of  Mr.  Evans's  services  in  the  highest  terms 
possible. 

A   TRIP  TO   BUENOS   AYRES. 

During  the  *'  Brooklyn's"  stay  at  Montevideo  several  of  the 
officers  took  advantage  of  the  proximity  to  Buenos  Ayres  to  visit 
that  city,  and  the  following  description  of  the  city,  with  a  brief 
sketch  of  the  visit  by  Lieutenant  Beehler  and  Dr.  J.  M.  Steele, 
will  be  of  interest  to  the  general  reader : 

Buenos  Ayres  is  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  Plate, 
about  ninety  miles  from  Montevideo.  It  is  the  capital  of  the 
Argentine  Republic,  and  promises  to  be  the  future  metropolis  of 
South  America.  It  occupies  an  area  of  eleven  thousand  two  hun- 
dred acres,  equal  to  about  seventeen  and  a  half  square  miles,  and  in 
1882  had  a  population  of  two  hundred  and  ninety-five  thousand 
inhabitants.  The  city  is  built  on  a  level  plain  and  the  streets  all 
cross  at  right  angles,  which  though  narrow  in  the  heart  of  the 
city,  widen  out  into  handsome  avenues  in  the  newer  portions. 
Lines  of  horse-cars  run  in  almost  every  street,  and  at  the  present 
time  statistics  show  that  there  are  more  miles  of  street  railways 
in  Buenos  Ayres  than  any  other  city  in  the  world,  almost  all  the 
cars  for  which  were  built  in  the  United  States.  The  streets  are 
for  the  most  part  irregularly  paved,  but  Belgian  blocks  are  being 
laid,  and  fully  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  all  the  street  pavements  are 
now  paved  with  these  blocks. 


THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  305 

The  city  being  the  seat  of  government  has  a  namber  of  fine 
public  buildings  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Victoria  Plaza,  be- 
sides which  the  most  prominent  are  as  follows :  a  national  uni- 
versity, a  museum  of  natural  history,  containing  many  valuable 
specimens  of  the  fossil  remains  of  some  immense  prehistoric  ani- 
mals found  in  this  part  of  the  world,  a  large  national  library,  and 
various  other  libraries  for  the  public,  a  large  custom-house,  which 
has  cognizance  of  a  trade  of  over  a  hundred  million  dollars  an- 
nually, a  mint,  nine  market-places,  eleven  hospitals,  five  asylums, 
seven  banks,  several  of  which  occupy  imposing  buildings  which 
would  be  a  credit  to  any  city,  eight  large  theatres,  a  commercial 
exchange,  and  a  great  many  fine  mercantile  houses. 

The  streets  are  well  lighted  by  gas  furnished  by  three  gas  com- 
panies. The  Brush  system  of  electric  lighting  is  being  introduced, 
and  a  portion  of  the  principal  thoroughfares  in  the  heart  of  the 
city  is  now  illuminated  by  this  means.  Kerosene  lamps  are  used 
in  the  more  remote  streets.  The  Roman  Catholic  religion  pre- 
dominates, and  the  city  is  the  seat  of  the  archbishopric.  The 
cathedral  is  an  immense  building,  one  of  the  largest  church  edi- 
fices in  America,  built  in  Grecian  style,  with  its  fagade  decorated 
with  an  alto-relievo  of  Joseph  embracing  his  brethren,  to  com- 
memorate the  family  compact  of  Buenos  Ayres  with  the  Argen- 
tine provinces  after  the  civil  wars  of  1853-59.  There  are  ten 
plazas  in  the  city,  provided  with  public  fountains  and  ornamented 
with  shade-trees  and  flower-gardens.  Victoria  Plaza  now  includes 
that  of  the  25  de  Mayo,  from  which  it  was  formerly  separated  by 
a  low  arcade  called  the  Recoba  Vieja,  which  has  been  recently 
torn  down.  The  centre  of  the  old  Victoria  Plaza  has  a  small 
liberty  monument  to  commemorate  the  independence  obtained  by 
the  revolution  from  Spain  on  May  25,  1810.  This  monument  is 
built  of  stucco,  and  is  at  present  in  a  very  dilapidated  condition. 
The  other  side  of  the  square  has  a  fine  equestrian  statue  of  Gen- 
eral Belgrano. 

The  great  resort  of  the  people  for  recreation  is  the  Parque  3  de 


306  ^^^  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

Febren,  bo  named  to  commemorate  the  date  of  the  downfall  of  the 
Dictator  Rosas  in  1852.  This  park  was  originally  laid  out  by 
Rosas  to  form  the  gardens  of  his  palace  at  Palermo.  The  palace 
building  is  now  used  as  barracks  for  one  of  the  Argentine  regi- 
ments of  the  line,  and  fine  drives  and  promenades  cover  the  ex- 
tensive reservation  and  give  the  public  access  to  a  fair  zoological 
garden,  which  is  being  constantly  enlarged. 

The  houses  are  built  in  Spanish  style,  and  in  the  heart  of  the 
city  are  almost  all  altos  of  two  and  three  stories,  quite  a  number 
of  five  and  six,  and  nearly  all  have  the  usual  "  patio"  (central 
court).  There  are  several  fine  hotels  and  a  great  many  elegant 
oa£6s. 

The  city  is  chiefly  a  commercial  centre  for  the  distribution  of 
importations  from  the  United  States  and  Europe  in  exchange  for 
the  products  of  cattle-breeding,  the  chief  source  of  revenue  of  the 
country  being  wool,  hides,  tallow,  jerked  beef,  live  cattle,  skins, 
etc.  There  are  very  few  factories,  and  these  are  only  such  as  to 
supply  some  of  the  necessaries  of  life,  such  as  flour-mills,  bakeries, 
saddlery-  and  carriage-shops,  all  of  which  are  on  a  small  scale. 
The  citizens,  commonly  called  "  Portenos,"  are  very  enterprising, 
and,  backed  by  a  rich  fertile  country,  are  beginning  to  realize  the 
importance  of  agriculture  and  manufacture  for  the  development  of 
the  country.  Skilled  mechanics  are  very  scarce,  as  exemplified  by 
the  fact  that  the  Argentine  Navy  Department  send  their  chro- 
nometers to  England  to  be  cleaned  and  repaired  for  want  of  the 
proper  facilities  to  do  so  in  Buenos  Ayres,  though  there  are  over 
a  hundred  ordinary  jewellers  and  watchmakers  in  the  city. 

The  city  is  the  terminus  of  five  railroads,  and  it  is  now  pro- 
posed to  build  a  grand  central  depot  near  the  custom-house,  from 
which  trains  will  leave  for  all  parts  of  the  Argentine  Republic. 
The  roads  terminating  at  Buenos  Ayres  are  the  Southern,  West- 
em,  Campana,  Ensenada,  and  Northern.  The  Western  road  is  in 
operation  to  Cordoba,  and  communication  by  rail  will  soon  be 
effected  across  the  Andes  from  Punta  del  Negro  in  the  rich  min- 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  307 

ing  province  of  Riqja  to  Copiapo,  Chili,  The  total  numher  of 
miles  of  railroad  in  the  Argentine  Republic  is  now  nearly  four 
thousand  miles.  The  fares  average  about  four  cents  per  mile  in 
the  province  of  Buenos  Ayres  for  first  class,  and  three  cents  sec- 
ond class.  In  the  interior,  on  the  Central  Argentine,  it  is  one 
cent  per  mile  more.  The  rolling-stock  is  generally  modelled  after 
the  European  system,  but  American  cars  are  being  introduced  and 
are  rapidly  taking  the  place  of  the  others.  Some  strange  combi- 
nations are  to  be  found  in  the  arrangements  of  some  of  the 
passenger-cars. 

The  foreign  commerce  in  1882  was  carried  by  about  ten  thou- 
sand sailing-vessels  of  an  aggregate  of  two  hundred  and  eighty 
thousand  tons  and  three  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy- 
eight  steamers  of  nine  hundred  and  fifty-five  thousand  six  hun- 
dred tons.  The  domestic  commerce  is  confined  to  the  navigation 
in  the  Plate,  Parana,  and  Uruguay  Rivers,  carried  by  thirty-six 
screw-steamers  and  ten  paddle-steamers,  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred sailing-vessels,  and  about  twelve  hundred  smaller  boats  of 
from  one  to  six  tons.  Some  of  the  steamers  are  nicely  fitted,  but 
none  compare  with  the  elegant  river  steamers  in  our  country. 
Many  of  the  streams  of  the  Argentine  Republic  are  very  shallow, 
and  it  is  strange  that  none  of  our  flat-bottomed  river  boats  have 
as  yet  been  introduced,  which,  according  to  Mark  Twain,  are 
capable  of  navigating  the  plains  after  a  heavy  dew.  The  boister- 
ous weather  in  the  river  Plate,  between  Montevideo  and  Buenos 
Ayres,  is  such  that  stanch  sea-going  steamers  are  absolutely 
necessary. 

Until  the  accession  of  the  present  president  of  the  republic, 
Lieutenant-General  Julio  A.  Roca,  the  country  has  been  almost 
constantly  involved  in  domestic  strife  and  revolution ;  but  an  era 
of  peace  has  now  dawned,  and  rapid  strides  are  being  made  to  put 
the  republic  on  a  par  with  the  leading  nations  of  the  world.  The 
country  is  a  republic  modelled  after  our  own,  with  one  improve- 
ment, in  that  the  president  is  elected  for  six  years  instead  of  four. 


308  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

BduoatioD  is  felt  to  be  a  necessity  for  all  classes,  and  additional 
facilities  are  constantly  being  provided.  In  May,  1852,  Buenos 
Ayres  had  152  public  schools  with  19,543  pupils,  and  112  pri- 
vate schoob  with  10,000  pupils.  The  university  has  684  stu- 
dents, the  national  college  546,  and  the  normal  schools  700  boys 
and  girls.  These  figures  illustrate  great  improvement,  from  the 
fact  that  until  within  the  last  twenty  years  education  was  confined 
to  the  males  in  the  higher  classes,  and  that  eighty  years  ago  there 
were  but  few  women  who  could  read  or  write.  The  magnificent 
steamers  which  bridge  the  ocean  have  made  the  rest  of  the  world 
much  nearer,  and  the  urbanity  and  culture  of  the  "  Portenos" 
proves  that  they  have  not  neglected  opportunities  of  visiting  the 
United  States  and  Europe,  and  the  capital  of  the  Argentine 
Republic  has  indeed  become  a  cosmopolitan  city. 

The  press  is  well  represented,  and  has  been  exerting  its  power- 
ful influence  for  the  benefit  of  the  country.  In  Buenos  Ayres 
alone  there  are  ninety-eight  daily  papers,  periodicals,  and  divers 
reviews,  of  which  there  are  three  in  English,  three  in  German, 
three  in  French,  five  in  Italian,  and  the  rest  in  Spanish,  one  of 
which  has  a  daily  circulation  of  nine  thousand  copies.  The 
Buenos  Ayres  Standard  is  a  very  valuable  paper,  edited  by  Mr. 
Mulhall,  from  whose  valuable  works,  "  The  English  in  South 
America,"  "  Handbook  of  the  River  Plate,"  and  "  Dictionary  of 
Statistics,"  we  have  compiled  much  of  our  information  concerning 
this  country. 

In  our  recent  visit  to  Buenos  Ayres  we  took  passage  in  the 
steamer  "  Villa  de  Salto,"  commanded  by  an  American,  Captain 
Morse,  who  provided  us  with  a  commodious  cabin  and  was  espe- 
cially courteous  to  us  and  all  the  passengers.  The  fare  to  Buenos 
Ayres  has  been  until  recently  eight  dollars,  but  an  opposition  line 
has  been  established,  and  round-trip  tickets,  good  for  one  month, 
are  sold  for  seven  dollars,  which  includes  state-rooms  and  meals. 
The  steamer  left  Montevideo  at  five  p.m.,  and  arrived  at  Buenos 
Ayres  at  daylight  the  next  morning.     The  passengers  were,  how- 


J 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  309 

ever,  n6t  disturbed,  and  most  of  them  left  the  steamer  about 
eight  A.M.  in  small  boats,  which  they  were  obliged  to  hire  to 
convey  them  to  the  landing.  The  weather  was  clear  and  cool, 
and  our  first  view  of  the  city  from  the  steamer  impressed  us 
favorably.  Two  long  piers  run  out  from  about  the  centre  of  an 
imposing  row  of  buildings,  which,  with  the  domes  and  spires  in 
the  background,  demonstrated  that  we  were  in  the  harbor  of  a 
large  city.  Small  tugs  and  lighters  were  plying  to  and  from  the 
shipping,  anchored  at  considerable  distance  from  the  landing,  and 
as  our  boat  took  us  in  we  distinguished  the  custom-house  at  the 
end  of  one  of  the  piers,  on  the  side  of  which  a  roadway  leading 
into  the  water  was  seen,  full  of  the  peculiar  carts  with  wheels 
from  six  to  ten  feet  in  diameter,  some  of  which  we  met  about  a 
half-mile  out  in  the  harbor  with  nothing  but  the  horses'  heads 
visible  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  while  the  box  of  the  cart 
was  several  inches  clear  above  water.  These  carts  were  employed 
to  unload  lighters,  which,  owing  to  the  shallowness  of  the  harbor, 
cannot  approach  any  nearer  to  the  shore.  A  numerous  gang  of 
porters  were  clamorous  for  our  baggage  when  we  reached  the  end 
of  the  pier,  one  of  whom  handed  out  a  brass  check  (evidence  of 
his  being  a  licensed  porter),  took  charge  of  our  baggage,  and  con- 
ducted us  to  the  hotel.  Immediately  after  breakfast  we  paid  our 
respects  to  the  United  States  minister  and  consul,  and  then  looked 
up  our  friends,  one  of  whom — Mr.  Gifford — introduced  us  to  the 
Foreign  Residents'  Club,  where  we  found  every  comfort  during 
our  visit.  Mr.  Gifford  entertained  us  in  a  very  hospitable  manner, 
and  the  next  day  called  for  us  and  took  us  out  to  Palermo  and 
the  Parque  3  de  Febrero.  On  the  way  we  passed  the  beautiful 
grounds  called  "  Alvear's  Folly,"  on  account  of  the  great  expense 
entailed  in  its  construction. 

We  next  passed  the  city  water-works,  where  machinery  is  em- 
ployed to  force  water  into  large  elevated  tanks,  from  which  the 
water-mains  are  fed  to  supply  all  parts  of  the  city,  with  sufficient 
pressure  for  all  practical  purposes.     Buenos  Ayres  is  but  little  ex- 


310  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

posed  to  the  ravages  of  the  fire  fiend.  There  are  no  frame  houses, 
and  the  large  area  occupied  by  a  single  brick  stucco  house  with 
central  patio  is  in  itself  a  safeguard  against  the  spread  of  fire,  more 
especially  when  most  of  the  houses  are  of  but  one  story.  There 
is,  however,  a  well-organized  fire  department,  which  in  some  cases 
ha.s  rendered  efficient  service. 

At  Palermo  the  great  resort  is  the  drive  through  the  avenue 
of  palms,  which  borders  the  Zoological  Garden.  Here  we  saw  a 
countless  stream  of  carriages  of  the  latest  and  most  approved  styles. 
Liveried  coachmen  and  footmen  were  numerous,  and  though  we 
did  not  see  any  four-in-hands  nor  tandems,  yet  the  general  appear- 
ance gave  evidence  of  considerable  wealth  and  its  attendant  luxu- 
ries. The  monkeys'  cage,  the  lions  and  serpents,  attracted  the 
larirest  crowd,  in  which  the  small  boys  made  themselves  a  nuisance 
as  usual.  A  quiet  stroll  through  the  garden  was  very  interesting, 
and  the  excellent  behavior  of  the  people  elicited  our  admiration. 
Indeed,  the  quiet,  gentlemanly  conduct  of  the  masses  in  public, 
both  in  Montevideo  and  Buenos  Ayres,  is  remarkable,  and  very 
different  from  what  would  be  supposed  of  communities  where 
revolutions  had  been  so  frequent.  Afler  passing  through  the 
gardens,  details  of  which  would  require  more  space  than  available, 
we  came  to  a  rifle-range,  where  a  gun  club  had  a  pigeon-shooting 
match,  which  we  could  only  see  from  a  distance.  Our  kind  host 
then  took  us  back  through  the  southwestern  part  of  the  city,  and 
then  out  to  his  suburban  residence  at  Flores,  where  we  were  most 
hospitably  entertained  by  his  wife  and  family. 

During  the  rest  of  the  week  we  were  kindly  entertained  by  a 
number  of  gentlemen  to  whom  we  had  personal  letters  of  intro- 
duction, which  made  our  visit  to  the  city  especially  enjoyable.  On 
Tuesday  we  went  out  to  the  races  at  Lanus  by  train  on  the  South- 
ern Railroad.  The  most  striking  feature  of  this  train  consisted  of 
a  peculiar  arrangement  of  the  cars,  which  are  short  and  have  but 
four  trucks,  at  least  five  inches  greater  in  diameter  than  ours.  The 
seats  were  permanently  arranged  facing  each  other,  with  a  central 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  311 

aisle,  and,  though  comfortable,  were  so  totally  different  from  any 
we  had  seen  elsewhere,  that  we  were  again  reminded  of  our  being 
in  a  foreign  land. 

The  race-course  at  Lanus  is  some  distance  from  the  railroad  sta- 
tion, and  when  the  train  stopped  a  great  rush  was  made  for  six  or 
seven  country  vehicles  drawn  up  to  convey  passengers  to  the  races. 
One  large  two-wheeled  cart  was  rigged  with  seats  for  ten  people, 
and  started  off  with  great  haste  to  get  in  time  for  the  first  race, 
for  which  our  train  was  late.  There  was  considerable  excitement, 
and  just  as  the  train  moved  on,  the  shaft  of  the  cart  mentioned 
suddenly  broke  in  two  and  dumped  its  unusual  load  out  behind, 
to  the  intense  amusement  of  about  three  hundred  people  who  wit- 
nessed the  break-down  ;  the  occupants  of  the  cart  rolled  out  in  the 
mud,  but  the  laughter  of  the  crowd  prevented  any  expression  of 
indignation,  instead  of  which  each  and  every  one  picked  them- 
selves up  and  mingled  in  the  crowd  to  avoid  being  recognized. 

The  track  was  not  in  very  good  order,  and  when  we  reached  the 
grand  stand  we  found  but  little  enthusiasm  among  the  spectators. 
The  programme  called  for  four  races,  but  there  was  but  one  of 
any  interest,  in  which  four  horses  were  entered  to  run  three  thou- 
sand seven  hundred  metres,  a  distance  which  necessitated  going 
twice  around  the  course.  We  rather  expected  some  peculiar 
native  arrangement  in  the  details  and  manner  of  conducting  the 
races,  but  from  all  we  could  see  it  is  apparent  that  horse-racing  is 
a  newly-imported  pastime. 

Upon  a  visit  to  the  Argentine  Naval  School  every  attention 
was  shown  by  the  courteous  commandant.  Commander  Bachman, 
of  the  Argentine  Navy.  The  school  occupies  a  lot  of  about  two 
city  squares,  and  is  situated  in  the  western  part  of  the  city,  about 
a  mile  back  from  the  river.  The  school  is  as  yet  of  very  modest 
pretensions,  and  is  merely  intended  for  an  elementary  course  in 
the  education  of  cadets  and  naval  apprentices.  The  distance  from 
the  river  prevents  any  naval  exercises  on  the  water,  to  provide 
which  a  fac-simile  of  a  full-rigged  brig  is  substituted  by  poles  in 


312  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

the  ground,  which  are  ao  placed  as  to  answer  for  the  masts  and 
head-booms,  fully  equipped  with  yards  and  the  usual  rigging,  as  a 
regular  brig-of-war.  A  deck  and  rail  are  now  in  course  of  con- 
struction, to  render  the  resemblance  more  complete  and  provide 
for  a  place  for  fife-rails,  pin-rails,  and  ports  for  working  guns,  that 
the  boys  might  learn  the  first  principles  of  seamanship  and  naval 
gunnery.  There  are  but  thirty-six  naval  cadets  and  one  hundred 
apprentices  in  the  school.  The  former  are  selected  by  competi- 
tive examination,  and  hereafler  will  be  sent  to  England  to  com- 
plete their  education.  The  quarters  occupied  by  the  boys  are 
made  as  much  like  a  ship  as  possible,  and  the  dormitory  is  fitted 
with  hooks  in  beams  for  hammocks,  which  are  used  instead  of 
beds.  The  stowage  of  clothing,  and  in  fact  all  the  minor  details 
of  the  domestic  economy,  are  as  much  like  those  on  board  a  man- 
of-war  as  possible.  The  commandant  takes  a  great  deal  of  in- 
terest in  teaching  astronomy  and  navigation,  for  which  purpose 
he  has  a  special  observatory  in  one  part  of  the  grounds,  where  the 
more  advanced  cadets  are  taught  practical  astronomy  and  its 
branches. 

Our  leave  of  absence  expired  much  sooner  than  we  anticipated, 
and  although  we  were  busy  sight-seeing  all  the  time,  yet  we  had 
to  forego  the  pleasure  of  visiting  many  interesting  places  for  want 
of  time.  We  were  delighted  with  all  we  saw  of  the  "  Portenos ;" 
their  energy  and  enterprise  is  very  much  to  be  admired,  and  we 
certainly  never  met  more  hospitable  people. 

CRUISE   OF  THE  "NIPSIC." 

The  U.  S.  S.  "  Nipsic,"  third  rate,  after  completing  a  three 
years'  cruise  on  the  European  Station,  returned  to  New  York  in 
March,  1883,  and  refitted  for  a  three  years'  cruise  on  the  South 
Atlantic  Station.  Commander  H.  B.  Seely  retained  the  command 
of  the  vessel,  and  a  new  set  of  oflBcers  and  crew  were  ordered, 
many  of  whom  expected  the  ship  would  return  to  Europe.  She 
refitted  at  the  New  York  Navy -yard  and  hauled  out  and  anchored 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  313 

oflF  the  Battery  on  June  2.  June  15  she  got  under  way  and  steamed 
out  for  Rio  de  Janeiro,  with  one  hundred  and  sixty  men  and  the 
following  officers : 

Commander  H.  B.  Seely. 

Lieutenant-Commander  G.  C.  Reiter. 

Lieutenants  C.  H.  Arnold,  C.  A.  Clarke,  F.  H.  Tyler,  and 
E.  J.  Doran. 

Ensigns  H.  W.  Harrison,  P.  L.  Drayton,  F.  Swift,  and  W.  G. 
Richardson. 

Naval  Cadets  R.  B.  Higgins,  R.  W.  Barclay,  T.  L.  Chapin,  A.  C. 
Alexander,  C.  T.  Webster,  and  E.  S.  Glasscock. 

Passed  Assistant  Surgeon  Howard  P.  Smith. 

Paymaster  H.  T.  Wright. 

Chief  Engineer  R.  B.  Hine,  Passed  Assistant  Engineer  H.  L. 
Hannum,  Assistant  Engineer  E.  H.  Scribner. 

Second  Lieutenant  of  Marines  James  A.  Turner. 

Paymaster's  Clerk  B.  H.  Goubleman. 

During  the  passage  she  experienced  very  good  weather  to  the 
line,  which  was  crossed  in  longitude  31  degrees  on  the  thirty-sixth 
day  out,  being  July  21.  His  Majesty  Neptune  was  received  on 
board  with  great  ceremony  and  issued  some  very  handsome  diplo- 
mas to  the  novitiates.  After  crossing  the  line  she  experienced 
southerly  winds,  which  brought  her  to  leeward  of  the  Rocas  and 
obliged  them  to  lose  several  days  to  beat  to  windward  of  Cape  St. 
Roque. 

On  August  6.  when  about  five  hundred  miles  from  Cape  Frio, 
she  fell  in  with  the  Belgian  bark  "  Bougerhout"  in  distress.  Her 
captain  was  dying  with  beriberi,  and  her  mate  had  died  three 
weeks  before,  so  that  there  was  no  one  on  board  capable  of  navi- 
gating the  vessel  to  port.  Commander  Seely  sent  medical  assist- 
ance and  three  officers.  Lieutenant  C.  A.  Clarke  and  Ensigns  F. 
Swift  and  W.  G.  Richardson,  to  take  the  bark  into  Rio.  Dr. 
Smith  performed  a  surgical  operation  on  the  captain,  and  returned 
to  the  "  Nipsic."     The  "  Bougerhout"  was  deeply  loaded  mth 


814  ^^^  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

three  hundred  tons  of  salt  at  Salt  Island,  Cape  de  Verdes,  and 
bound  to  Rio  Grande  de  Sur,  Brazil ;  she  was  short  of  provisions, 
and  her  general  condition  was  deplorable.  The  chronometer  was 
in  charge  of  the  cook  and  about  useless,  and  the  compass  so  boxed 
in  that  the  helmsman  merely  took  an  occasional  glimpse  of  it,  and 
steered  by  a  star  or  the  sun  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time. 
Lieutenant  Clarke  and  his  two  officers  had  to  turn  to  and  do  most 
of  the  work  themselves  ;  the  crew  was  only  six  men  and  two  boys, 
and  only  one  could  understand  English.  The  captain  became  de- 
lirious and  had  to  be  watched.  The  officers  had  no  accommoda- 
tions, the  rigging  and  sails  were  worn  out,  and  the  latter  required 
patching,  the  decks  were  awash  and  so  slimy  that  a  walk  forward 
was  absolutely  perilous,  and  had  they  experienced  a  gale  their  case 
would  have  been  desperate,  while  the  disease  was  such  that  all 
were  afraid  of  contagion  ;  yet  they  made  fair  progress.  On 
August  10  they  sighted  Cape  Frio,  and  without  encountering  bad 
weather  entered  Rio  and  anchored  off  Fort  Villegagnon  at  nine 
P.M.,  August  14,  and  the  next  morning  got  under  way  and 
anchored  near  the  "  Nipsic,"  which  had  arrived  four  days  before. 
Lieutenant  Clarke  then  turned  the  vessel  over  to  Mr.  Sauwen,  the 
Belgian  consul-general,  while  the  master  was  transferred  to  the 
hospital. 

On  August  10  the  "  Nipsic"  arrived  in  Rio,  having  made  the 
passage  under  sail  in  fifty-seven  days,  steam  being  used  the  first 
two  days  out  and  one  day  in  the  "  doldrums."  Commander  Seely 
reported  to  Commodore  Phelps  by  letter  from  Rio,  who  directed 
him  to  come  to  Montevideo.  The  "  Nipsic"  left  Rio  on  August 
24,  and  arrived  at  Montevideo  on  August  30,  1883. 

"The  'Nipsic'  left  Montevideo  October  25,  1883,  for  Buenos 
Ayne.  The  trip  occupied  a  week,  as  each  day,  except  Sunday, 
there  were  exercises  such  as  could  only  be  carried  on  at  sea. 
Target-practice  with  great  guns  and  small-arms,  battalion  drills, 
general  and  fire  quarters,  sail  and  spar  drills,  each  had  its  turn, 
and  the  ship  was  steamed  round  in  circles,  with  different  angles  of 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  315 

heel,  to  determine  the  variations  of  the  compass  under  these  dif- 
ferent circumstances.  The  ship  arrived  at  Buenos  Ayres  Novem- 
ber 1,  and  anchored  in  the  outer  roads.  Two  days  later  she  went 
into  the  Boca  del  Riachuelo,  a  small  stream  which  has  been 
dredged  out  so  as  to  make  a  safe  and  convenient  harbor  for  ves- 
sels drawing  not  more  than  eighteen  feet  of  water.  This  was 
found  to  be  a  most  convenient  berth,  as,  close  to  the  landing, 
those  going  on  shore  could  take  the  horse-cars  and  in  half  an 
hour  could  be  in  the  centre  of  the  city.  After  ten  days  in  the 
'  Boca,'  the  ship  went  outside  again  and  remained  a  week  longer, 
when,  on  November  21,  steam  was  raised  and  the  ship  ran  over  to 
Colonia  and  anchored.  The  health  officer  soon  came  off  and  took 
a  position  to  windward  of  the  ship,  but  would  not  come  on  board  ; 
the  bill  of  health  was  sent  to  him  in  the  dingy.  He  received  it 
with  a  pair  of  tongs  and  carefully  fumigated  it,  somewhat  to  the 
amusement  of  the  lookers-on.  The  amusement  was  perceptibly 
lessened  when  he  announced  that  the  '  Nipsic'  would  have  to  ride 
out  a  quarantine  of  ten  days.  This  was  absurd,  as  no  epidemic 
had  been  known  to  exist  at  Buenos  Ayres  ;  but  as  no  modification 
of  thb  edict  could  be  obtained.  Commander  Seely  determined  not 
to  remain  there,  and  on  the  following  morning  the  anchor  was 
weighed  and  the  ship  went  to  Montevideo,  arriving  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  same  day.  During  the  trip  down  10.2  knots  per  hour 
were  averaged  for  six  consecutive  hours,  under  steam  alone,  and 
using  two-thirds  boiler-power,  which  was  considered  good  per- 
formance. 

"  The  '  Nipsic'  remained  at  Montevideo  until  January  5,  when 
Commander  Seely,  having  received  orders  from  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment to  determine  astronomically,  as  exactly  as  possible,  the  true 
latitude  and  longitude  of  the  custom-house  at  Ensenada,  Argentine 
Republic,  the  ship  sailed  on  that  errand,  and  on  the  evening  of 
the  same  day  anchored  in  the  river.  The  next  day  being  Sunday 
was  observed  as  a  day  of  rest.  On  Monday,  January  7,  she 
steamed  to  Buenos  Ayres  for  the  purpose  of  getting  rat«s  for  the 


316  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

ship's  chronometers  by  telegraphic  comparisons  of  time  with  the 
Arjfentine  National  Observatory  at  Cordoba.  Through  the  good 
offices  of  General  Osborne,  the  United  States  minister  to  the  Ar- 
gentine Republic,  the  government  line  of  telegraph  to  Cordoba 
was  placed  at  the  disposal  of  Lieutenant  C.  H.  Arnold,  who, 
under  Commander  Seely's  direction,  was  to  do  the  work  of  deter- 
mining anew  the  position  of  the  Ensenada  custom-house.  But 
the  line  was  seldom  in  working  order,  and  several  weeks  elapsed 
before  a  sufficient  number  of  satisfactory  comparisons  could  be 
had.  In  the  mean  time,  however,  Commander  Seely  obtained  and 
forwarded  to  the  Navy  Department  much  valuable  hydrographic 
and  other  information.  The  ship  being  again  anchored  in  the 
Boca,  access  to  the  shore  was  easy,  and  many  availed  them- 
selves of  the  fine  opportunity  oflPered  of  seeing  a  good  deal  of  the 
large  and  magnificent  capital  of  the  Argentine  Kepublic,  and  of 
its  enei^etic,  enterprising,  and  intelligent  people.  The  officers 
were  the  recipients  of  many  kind  attentions  from  the  United 
States  minister,  General  Osborne,  from  the  consul,  Mr.  E.  T. 
Baker,  and  his  charming  and  hospitable  family,  and  from  many 
others  of  the  foreign  residents.  Washington's  birthday  was  cele- 
brated on  board  by  dressing  the  ship,  and  by  an  afternoon  lunch 
and  hop  given  to  the  American  residents  by  the  captain  and  offi- 
cers. The  weather  was  all  that  could  be  desired,  and  the  company 
assembled  was  of  the  pleasantest  kind.  It  was  long  since  an 
American  war-ship  had  come  to  an  anchorage  where  they  could 
visit  her  conveniently,  and  without  running  the  risk  of  being  de- 
tained on  board  several  days  by  bad  weather.  The  Boca  was 
found  to  be  an  unusually  healthy  place,  as  the  sick  list  was 
entirely  clean  during  the  greater  part  of  the  'Nipsic's'  stay 
there. 

"  During  the  ship's  stay  in  Buenos  Ayres  Chief  Engineer  Hine, 
Lieutenant  Clark,  Ensign  Drayton,  and  Naval  Cadet  Chapin,  de- 
siring to  see  something  of  the  interior  of  the  country,  received  a 
week's  leave  of  absence,  and  went  by  the  Southern  Railway  to 


THE   CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  317 

Tandil,  some  two  hundred  and  forty  miles  to  the  south  of  Buenos 
Ayres.  For  two  hundred  and  thirty  miles  the  road  runs  over  the 
level,  treeless  pampas,  on  which  graze  countless  herds  of  horses, 
sheep,  and  cattle,  and  which  is  teeming  with  game.  Tandil  is 
situated  at  the  base  of  some  low  granite  hills,  on  the  top  of  one 
of  which  is  the  great  '  lion'  of  the  province,  the  Moving  Stone,  a 
mass  of  granite  weighing  about  two  hundred  tons,  so  accurately 
balanced  on  a  very  small  base  that  a  man  can  easily  move  it,  and 
set  it  oscillating  through  a  small  arc.  The  party  had  a  very  en- 
joyable little  tour,  and  the  sportsmen  among  them  bagged  plenty 
of  game.  They  returned  greatly  impressed  with  the  magnitude 
of  the  natural  resources  of  the  country,  resources  as  yet  almost 
untouched,  but  which  may  yet  make  the  valley  of  the  Rio  de  la 
Plata  one  of  the  wealthiest  regions  in  the  world. 

"  The  '  Nipsic'  remained  in  Buenos  Ayres  until  after  Carnival. 
This  feast  was  celebrated  with  great  spirit.  For  three  nights  the 
two  principal  streets  were  brilliantly  illuminated,  and  were  filled 
with  masquers  on  foot,  on  horseback,  and  in  carriages.  Armed 
with  a  plentiful  supply  of  *  pomitos'  they  waged  a  wet  warfare 
with  the  spectators  on  the  sidewalks  and  on  the  balconies. 

"  On  March  2  the  '  Nipsic's'  smoke-pipe  went  up  again,  and 
she  steamed  to  Punta  Lara,  which  place  was  reached  in  a  few 
hours.  The  necessary  instruments  were  landed,  and  in  a  few  days 
a  sufficient  number  of  satisfactory  observations  had  been  made  to 
determine  the  position  desired.  March  9  the  ship  returned  to 
Montevideo,  where  she  remained  until  the  26th  of  the  same 
month,  when,  after  filling  up  with  coal,  she  started  for  Bahia 
Blanca.  The  trip  was  made  under  steam  alone  in  a  little  more 
than  three  days,  the  weather  being  very  wet  and  disagreeable. 
As  Bahia  Blanca  had  just  been  visited  by  a  freshet,  which  inun- 
dated everything  in  that  part  of  the  country,  drowning  thousands 
of  sheep,  the  shore  was  not  at  all  attractive,  especially  as  the  town 
is  some  miles  from  the  landing.  At  the  landing  is  the  terminus 
of  the  Southern  Railway,  and  we  found  there  a  very  fine  iron 

21 


818  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

wharf  under  construction  by  the  engineers  of  the  company.  Mr. 
Qordon,  the  engineer  in  charge,  who  had  his  family  with  him, 
gave  a  dinner  party  to  the  captain  and  several  of  the  officers. 
The  ship  was  anchored  in  a  small  river,  with  low  marshy  banks. 
On  one  of  these  a  target  was  erected,  and  the  crew  exercised  at 
target-practice.     The  officers  had  some  practice  also. 

"  The  '  Nipsic'  left  Bahia  Blanca  April  10,  and  arrived  at  Mal- 
donado  on  the  13th,  steaming  all  the  way.  The  night  after  her 
arrival  it  blew  pretty  hard,  and  the  ship  dragged  her  anchors 
some  distance.  Next  morning  she  shifted  her  anchorage  and 
moored.  At  Maldonado  the  ship's  battalion  was  landed  on  the 
island  several  times,  and  exercised  in  drill  and  target-practice. 
Wild  rabbits  are  plentiful  on  the  island,  and  the  sportsmen  of  the 
ship  shot  some  of  them,  besides  finding  good  duck-  and  partridge- 
shooting  on  the  mainland.  There  was  good  fishing  in  the  bay, 
and  an  abundance  of  fine  fish  was  caught  every  fine  day  during 
the  stay  of  the  ship. 

"  On  the  22d  of  April  the  '  Nipsic'  left  Maldonado,  and  ar- 
rived at  Montevideo  the  following  morning,  where  she  remained 
until  after  the  arrival  of  the  flag-ship  *  Brooklyn'  from  St.  Helena. 
During  the  absence  of  the  flag-ship  the  general  health  of  the 
*  Nipsic'  had  been  excellent.  One  change  only  took  place  among 
her  officers.  The  '  Pinta'  touched  at  Montevideo  on  her  way 
to  the  Pacific,  and  as  her  engineer  had  been  sent  home  sick 
from  Barbadoes,  Commander  Seely,  instructed  by  the  Navy  De- 
partment, transferred  Passed  Assistant  Engineer  J.  L.  Hannum 
to  her.  Mr.  Hannum's  detachment  was  a  disappointment  to  him, 
and  his  departure  was  regretted  by  his  messmates." 

On  June  19,  the  "  Nipsic"  sailed  from  Montevideo  for  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  where  she  arrived  on  June  26,  1884,  and  remained  until 
after  the  departure  of  the  "  Brooklyn"  for  the  United  States. 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  319 


CHAPTER   XVir. 

Description  of  the  Bay  and  City  of  Rio  de  Janeiro — A  Brief  Summary  of  the 
History  of  Brazil — The  "  Brooklyn's"  Pets — The  Homeward-Bound  Voyage 
of  the  "  Brooklyn"  and  Safe  Arrival  at  New  York — A  Synopsis  of  the  Cruise 
and  Track  Chart. 

RIO   DE   JANEIRO, 

Poets,  painters,  and  travellers  have  joined  in  the  praises  of 
this  magnificent  bay,  and  no  one  can  approach  it  without  being 
filled  with  admiration  for  its  beautiful  scenery.  Small  islets  at 
its  portals,  the  sleeping  giant  oatlined  by  the  summit  of  the  hills 
to  the  southward,  the  imposing  barren  Sugar-Loaf  Mountain  on 
one  side,  and  the  frowning  fortress  of  Santa  Cruz  on  the  other, 
all  seem  to  be  guardians  of  still  further  bounties  of  nature  within  ; 
and,  as  one  passes  inside  the  entrance,  the  reality  exceeds  the 
most  extravagant  anticipations. 

Bio  Bay  is  an  irregular  basin  extending  sixteen  miles  north- 
ward from  the  entrance,  with  widths  varying  between  two  and 
eight  miles.  Numerous  islands  are  scattered  in  all  directions 
about  the  bay,  and  these,  together  with  the  surrounding  country, 
the  mountains  and  picturesque  valleys,  present  varied  and  strik- 
ingly beautiful  views  in  every  direction.  One  never  wearies  of 
this  scenery,  and  no  matter  how  frequently  examined,  some  new 
beauty  is  discovered  and  its  freshness  is  always  felt. 

The  entrance  is  about  fifteen  hundred  yards  wide  between  Fort 
Santa  Cruz  and  Fort  Sao  Joao  on  the  opposite  side ;  but  this  is 
contracted  to  about  one  thousand  yards  by  the  rocks  of  Fort  Lage. 
Just  within  the  bay  two  arms  branch  oflf  on  each  side,  one  forming 
the  bay  of  Botafogo,  and  the  other  that  of  Jurujuba,  flanked  by  a 
high  little  islet  crowned  with  the  fort  and  chapel  of  "  Our  Lady 


320  THE  CRUISE  OF  TEE  BROOKLYN. 

of  Good  Voyages."  The  beaatifal  shores  then  invite  more  care- 
ful study  of  their  details,  as  they  come  out  to  view  in  the  course 
up  the  bay. 

On  the  left  the  mountain  range  is  marked  by  a  series  of  promi- 
nent peaks,  which  are  named  from  their  shape,  though  the  points 
of  view  from  which  they  are  seen  considerably  vary  the  resem- 
blance to  the  objects  from  which  they  are  named.  The  Gavea — 
meaning  a  topsail  of  a  ship — is  two  thousand  five  hundred  and 
seventy-five  feet  high,  Corcovado — the  Humpback — two  thousand 
two  hundred  and  seventy-two  feet,  and  Tijuca  three  thousand  four 
hundred  and  forty-seven  feet.  The  latter  is  also  called  the  "  Par- 
rot's Beak,"  but  this  name  is  not  general.  Looking  around  to 
the  westward,  the  Organ  Mountains  are  seen  on  a  clear  day,  the 
most  prominent  point  of  which  is  called  "  El  Dedo  de  Deus,"  the 
finger  of  God.  Around  to  the  right  the  north  shore  is  not  so 
mountainous,  but  is  undulating  and  varied  with  such  natural 
scenery  that  no  points  of  the  bay  are  without  interest  for  the 
spectator.  The  bay  is  unrivalled  in  the  world.  That  of  Naples 
is  oflen  mentioned  in  comparison,  but  the  proximity  of  the  bold 
peaks  at  Rio,  covered  with  the  richest  tropical  verdure,  stately 
palms,  and  every  variety  of  tree  and  flower,  must  excel  that  of  the 
distant  flame  and  smoke  of  the  dreadful  volcano  at  Naples.  The 
city  of  Rio,  with  its  palaces,  houses,  churches,  convents,  and  pub- 
lic buildings,  then  comes  out  to  view  from  on  and  behind  numer- 
ous hills  and  the  valleys  along  the  southern  shore,  while  fleets  of 
men-of-war,  steamers,  and  sailing-vessels  announce  the  importance 
and  wealth  of  this  great  commercial  emporium. 

Rio  de  Janeiro  was  discovered  on  the  1st  of  January,  1502,  by 
the  Portuguese  navigator  Andre  Goncalvez,  who  supposed  the  bay 
to  be  a  river,  and  from  this  circumstance  and  the  date  named  it 
the  River  of  January,  which  name  in  Portuguese  it  still  bears. 
Some  chroniclers  state  that  the  natives  called  the  bay  Guanabara, 
and  others  Nytero,  but  these  names  are  now  only  used  to  desig- 
ate  certain  localities  within  the  bay.     Solis,  Magellan,  Sebastian 


>r 


THE  AVKNLE  OF   PALJIS   IN   THE   IJOTANICAl-  GARDENS   AT   RID   PK  JANEIRO. 


Page  3HK 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  321 

Cabot,  and  other  early  navigators  visited  Rio,  but  the  first  Euro- 
pean settlement  was  founded  by  Nicolas  Dunaand  Villegaignon 
with  a  colony  of  French  Huguenots,  which  sailed  from  France  in 
two  armed  vessels,  and  which  arrived  at  Rio  on  the  10th  of  No- 
vember, 1555.  The  French  colonists  disembarked  on  the  Lage 
Rocks,  which  they  attempted  to  fortify,  but  subsequently  removed 
farther  in  bay  to  the  island  now  known  as  Villegaignon.  In 
March,  1557,  the  colonists  were  reinforced  by  Count  Le  Bois  with 
three  hundred  persons  in  three  fine  armed  vessels.  Two  Calvinist 
divines  accompanied  this  expedition,  one  of  whom,  Jean  de  Lery, 
published  at  Rochelle,  in  1578,  the  first  notices  of  a  voyage  in 
Brazil.  This  still  exists  as  a  reliable  record  of  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  aborigines  at  the  time  of  the  first  European  settle- 
ment. The  French  colonists  prospered  in  their  new  home,  and 
won  the  afiection  and  friendship  of  the  surrounding  Indian  tribes. 

Villegaignon  was  a  Knight  of  Malta,  and  had  induced  the 
Huguenots  to  join  him  in  his  proposal  to  establish  an  "  Antarctic 
France"  in  order  to  gain  the  support  of  the  French  crown.  But 
after  the  arrival  of  the  first  reinforcement  he  pretended  to  return 
to  his  old  faith,  and  commenced  a  persecution  of  the  Protestants 
in  the  colony,  a  number  of  whom  were  compelled  to  return  to 
France.  Villegaignon  shortly  afterwards  went  to  France  himself 
for  reinforcements  for  the  colony,  but  the  French  king  was  too 
much  occupied  with  the  civil  war  then  existing  to  give  heed  to 
his  appeal ;  and  his  treatment  of  the  Protestants  had  forfeited 
CoHgny's  favor,  so  that  he  failed  to  obtain  the  aid  he  sought. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Portuguese  claimed  the  territory  by  virtue 
of  the  discovery  of  the  country  by  Portuguese  navigators,  some  of 
whom  had  founded  other  colonies  in  Brazil,  the  most  important  of 
which  were  founded  in  1535  at  Pernambuco  and  Bahia.  Bahia 
became  the  seat  of  government  in  1549,  in  which  year  the  first 
governor-general — Thomas  de  Souza — arrived  from  Portugal  with 
the  first  Jesuit  missionaries,  whose  remarkable  labors  among  the 
South  American  Indians  contributed  immensely  in  overcoming 


322  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

their  hostility  to  the  struggling  settlers.  In  1560  the  Portuguese, 
under  Mendo  de  Sa,  attacked  the  French  at  Fort  Coligny,  now 
known  as  Villegaignon,  and  destroyed  it,  but  were  unable  to  expel 
the  French  from  the  bay  of  Rio  de  Janeiro.  The  Portuguese 
then  withdrew,  and  several  years  afterwards  returned  with  large 
reinforceniento,  with  Indian  allies,  under  command  of  Estacio  de 
Sa,  who  captured  a  fort  near  the  base  of  the  Sugar-Loaf,  and  on 
the  20th  of  January,  1567,  drove  the  French  out  of  Rio  de  Janeiro. 
Immediately  after  this,  De  Sa  laid  out  a  city  on  the  western  shores 
of  the  bay,  which,  in  honor  of  its  being  San  Sebastian's  day,  he 
called  the  city  of  Sao  Sebastiao  de  Rio  de  Janeiro,  though  the  last 
name  is  generally  used  alone. 

The  history  of  the  colony  for  the  first  one  hundred  yeara  is 
that  of  exterminating  wars  against  the  Indians  and  wild  schemes 
of  the  gold-hunters  and  explorers  in  seach  of  the  El  Dorado, 
which  produced  civil  dissensions  among  the  colonists,  oppression, 
and  assassination.  In  1710  the  French,  under  Duclerc,  landed  at 
Guaratiba  and  marched  upon  Rio  de  Janeiro,  but  were  all  cap- 
tured by  the  Portuguese  in  a  mill,  which  they  surrounded  and 
threatened  to  burn  unless  the  French  came  out  and  surrendered. 
In  the  following  year  the  French  admiral,  Duguay  Trouin,  arrived 
at  Rio  de  Janeiro  with  a  large  force  of  four  thousand  five  hun- 
dred men,  with  which  he  captured  and  held  the  city  in  revenge 
for  the  cowardly  assassination  of  Captain  Duclerc  in  his  prison, 
shortly  after  his  surrender.  The  admiral,  however,  accepted  a 
ransom  and  abandoned  the  bay. 

The  colony  of  Brazil  thereafter  prospered  in  spite  of  misman- 
agement, the  hostility  of  neighboring  states  of  the  river  Plate, 
invasions  by  the  Dutch  in  the  north,  and  depredations  by  English 
and  French  corsairs,  which  infested  the  seas  at  this  period.  The 
natives  were  troublesome,  but  the  gold-hunters  were  indefatigable, 
and  in  1729  one  of  these,  Antonio  du  Fonseca  Loba,  found  the 
first  Brazilian  diamond  in  the  Sierra  de  Fria. 

In  1763  the  capital  of  Brazil  was  transferred  from  Bahia  to 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  323 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  which  became  the  seat  of  government  of  the  vice- 
roys of  Portugal.  The  more  substantial  improvements  of  the  city 
were  then  undertaken.  The  streets  were  paved  and  lighted,  and 
the  great  aqueduct  which  spans  the  Rua  dos  Arcos  was  then  con- 
structed to  supply  the  city  with  water  from  the  famous  Carioca 
Springs  on  Mount  Theresa. 

No  hostile  fleet  has  ever  entered  the  bay  of  Rio  de  Janeiro 
since  the  departure  of  the  French  fleet  under  Duguay  Trouin ; 
and  the  growth  of  the  city  has  been  uninterrupted  up  to  the  pres- 
ent time.  In  November,  1807,  the  Continental  wars  of  Napoleon 
compelled  the  prince  regent  to  abandon  Lisbon  and  remove  the 
capital  of  the  kingdom  to  Rio  de  Janeiro.  The  prince  regent 
embarked  with  the  royal  family  and  a  large  number  of  the  Por- 
tuguese nobility,  and,  under  convoy  of  the  British  fleet,  sailed  for 
Brazil.  A  storm  scattered  the  fleet,  but  all  at  length  reached  Rio 
safely  on  the  7th  of  March,  1808.  The  people  received  the 
prince  with  the  greatest  manifestations  of  joy,  and  a  new  era 
opened  for  the  flourishing  colony.  Under  the  influence  of  Eng- 
land free  trade  was  established,  and  the  influx  of  foreigners  had  a 
most  beneficial  efi"ect  upon  the  commerce  of  the  country.  The 
customs  of  Europe  were  introduced,  court  ceremonies  made  the 
city  like  a  European  capital,  and  this  spread  from  town  to  town, 
and  the  whole  face  of  the  country  underwent  great  and  rapid 
changes. 

Under  these  circumstances  Brazil  could  no  longer  remain  a 
mere  colony,  and  in  December,  1815,  a  decree  was  promulgated 
which  declared  the  country  an  integral  part  of  the  united  king- 
dom of  Portugal,  Algarves,  and  Brazil.  This  event  was  scarcely 
consummated  when  the  queen — Donna  Maria  I. — died.  She  was 
the  mother  of  the  prince  regent,  and  the  latter  succeeded  to  the 
throne  as  King  John  VI.  The  ceremonies  of  his  coronation  were 
celebrated  with  great  magnificence  in  the  palace  square  at  Rio  on 
February  5,  1818.  The  satisfaction  which  the  Brazilians  felt  in 
the  elevation  of  their  country  to  a  position  equal  to  that  of  For- 


324  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

tagal  was  weakened  by  the  presence  of  the  great  number  of  ad- 
venturers among  the  Portuguese  courtiers,  who  sought  to  monop- 
olize all  the  honors  and  offices  of  the  state  to  the  exclusion  of 
native  Brazilians.  The  bitter  animosity  between  the  courtiers  and 
native  Brazilians  provoked  strong  jealousies  and  mistrust,  and 
manifested  itself  in  revolutions  and  mutinies  in  different  parts  of 
the  state,  which  were  all  put  down  by  the  Portuguese  troops. 
The  revolution  in  Portugal,  in  1821,  in  favor  of  a  constitution, 
was  also  successful  in  Brazil ;  and  these  events  compelled  King 
John  VI.  to  return  to  Portugal  and  leave  his  son  Dom  Pedro  as 
prince  regent  and  lieutenant  to  the  king.  The  young  prince  was 
but  twenty-three  years  old,  but  had  passed  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  among  the  Brazilians,  with  whom  he  sympathized  against  the 
older  Portuguese  nobility,  most  of  whom  returned  to  Portugal 
with  his  father  the  king.  The  Cortes  of  Portugal  then  ordered 
the  prince  to  return  to  that  country,  and  in  a  spirit  of  jealousy 
against  Brazil,  endeavored  to  reduce  that  country  back  to  her 
former  colonial  dependence.  These  measures  caused  violent  oppo- 
sition in  Brazil,  the  people  persuaded  the  popular  prince  to  stay 
with  them,  and  on  the  7th  of  September,  1822,  the  prince  de- 
clared for  independence  or  death.  He  then  hastened  from  the 
city  of  San  Paulo,  where  he  had  proclaimed  his  independence,  to 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  the  enthusiasm  in  his  favor  knew  no  bounds. 
The  municipality  of  the  capital  issued  a  proclamation,  declaring 
it  to  be  the  manifest  wish  of  the  people  to  proclaim  Dom  Pedro 
the  Constitutional  Emperor  and  Perpetual  Defender  of  Brazil. 
The  coronation  then  took  place  on  the  12th  of  October,  1822,  in 
the  Campo  Santa  Anna,  in  the  presence  of  an  immense  concourse 
of  people. 

The  Brazilian  revolution  was  comparatively  a  bloodless  one. 
Portugal  made  nothing  like  a  systematic  and  persevering  effort  to 
maintain  her  ascendency  over  her  long  depressed  but,  rebellious 
colony.  The  insulting  measures  of  the  Portuguese  Cortes  amounted 
to  nothing.     Their  troops  retained  possession  of  Bahia  and  other 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  325 

parts  for  some  time,  but  all  were  finally  compelled  to  abandon 
Brazil  to  her  own  control.  This  revolution  was  so  little  contested 
and  so  rapid  that  the  independence  of  Brazil  was  acknowledged 
by  the  court  at  Lisbon  in  less  than  three  years  after  the  first 
proclamation  on  7th  of  September,  1822, 

Notwithstanding  the  popularity  of  the  Emperor  Dom  Pedro  I., 
there  was  considerable  opposition  to  his  ministers,  and  in  a  year 
after  his  coronation  he  marched  to  the  capital  at  the  head  of  his 
cavalry,  and  ordered  the  dissolution  of  the  parliament.  A  new 
assembly  was  convoked  and  a  new  constitution  formed,  which  was 
accepted  and  sworn  to  on  the  25th  of  March,  1824,  by  the  em- 
peror and  other  authorities  and  the  people  throughout  the  empire. 
This  constitution  is,  for  an  imperial  hereditary  monarchy,  one  of 
the  most  liberal  of  such  documents.  The  following  are  some  of 
the  most  important  features :  The  government  is  a  constitutional, 
hereditary,  and  representative  monarchy.  The  religion  is  Roman 
Catholic,  but  all  are  tolerated.  The  judicial  proceedings  are 
public,  there  is  the  right  to  habeas  corpus  and  trial  by  jury.  The 
Congress  is  composed  of  Senators,  elected  for  life,  and  Represen- 
tatives for  the  term  of  four  years.  The  presidents  of  the  prov- 
inces are  appointed  by  the  emperor,  and  each  province  has  its 
own  legislature. 

The  administration  of  Dom  Pedro  I.  continued  about  ten  years, 
during  which  time  the  country  made  unquestionably  greater  prog- 
ress than  in  the  three  centuries  before  that  time.  Dom  Pedro 
wavered  in  his  admiration  for  the  representative  form  of  govern- 
ment. He  began  to  favor  the  cultured  Portuguese,  and  he, 
himself,  continually  interfered  in  the  affairs  of  Portugal.  He 
instituted  a  secret  cabinet,  and  by  apparently  excluding  native 
Brazilians,  for  whom  he  formerly  had  such  preference,  from  the 
highest  offices,  incurred  their  opposition.  After  various  popular 
agitations,  which  had  the  continual  effect  of  widening  the  breach, 
a  mob  assembled  at  Rio  and  demanded  the  dismissal  of  the  new 
ministry  and  the  reinstatement  of  some  who  had  been  dismissed 


326  THE  CRVISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

on  that  morning, — April  6,  1831.  The  emperor  refiised  to  consent 
to  the  dictation  of  the  mob.  The  troops  sided  with  the  mob,  and 
finally  he  yielded  to  the  circumstances  and  abdicated  in  favor  of 
his  son,  Dom  Pedro  II.  The  next  day  he  went  on  board  the 
English  corvette  "  Volage"  and  sailed  for  Europe. 

Dom  Pedro  II.  was  not  six  years  old  when  his  father  abdicated 
the  throne,  but  nevertheless  he  was  borne  in  triumph  to  the  city, 
and  the  ceremony  of  his  acclamation  as  emperor  was  performed 
with  great  enthusiasm.  The  Assembly  elected  a  permanent  regency 
to  administer  the  government  during  the  minority  of  young  Dom 
Pedro  II. ;  but  during  the  following  nine  years  the  regency  was 
often  changed  by  party  strife,  and  in  1840  it  was  abolished  alto- 
gether ;  so  that,  when  the  emperor  was  but  fifteen  years  old,  they 
declared  his  minority  expired  and  elevated  him  at  once  to  the  full 
possession  of  his  throne.  Great  excitement  prevailed  at  Rio  in  con- 
sequence ;  the  personal  popularity  of  the  young  sovereign  was  over- 
whelming, and  the  enthusiasm  in  his  favor  has  never  waned.  The 
reign  of  Dom  Pedro  II.  has  been  marked  by  a  continually  improving 
prosperity  of  the  country.  He  was  married  to  Donna  Theresa,  the 
sister  of  the  king  of  the  Two  Sicilies,  who  arrived  at  Rio  on  the 
3d  of  September,  1843.  The  emperor  is  himself  a  man  of  talent, 
and  is  distinguished  for  his  scientific  attainments  as  a  chemist,  a 
topographical  engineer,  and  a  linguist.  Some  of  his  admirers 
claim  that  he  can  speak  three  difierent  languages  fluently,  and  is 
well  acquainted  with  every  European  tongue.  He  encourages 
every  branch  of  useful  industry,  and  habitually  visits  the  proprie- 
tors of  stores  and  tries  to  stimulate  the  Brazilians  to  compete  in 
commercial  and  business  enterprises  with  foreigners.  He  is  a 
lealous  advocate  of  education,  and  devotes  a  great  deal  of  his  time 
and  fortune  for  the  culture  of  the  young.  He  is  a  great  ad- 
mirer of  the  United  States  and  our  institutions,  and  invariably 
praises  the  United  States  Naval  Academy  whenever  opportunity 
presents.  He  visited  the  Centennial  Exhibition  at  Philadelphia 
in  1876,  and  his  high  character  and  personal  attainments  have 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  327 

won  for  him  the  corresponding  respect  and  admiration  of  our  own 
people. 

The  most  notable  events  in  this  reign  have  been  the  downfall 
of  Rosas  in  the  Argentine  Confederation,  in  1852,  and  the  war 
with  Paraguay,  in  1865-71,  in  which  Brazil  took  a  prominent 
part  and  was  victorious.  The  slave-trade  was  abolished  in  1850, 
but  slavery  still  exists  in  Brazil,  and  the  eflForts  of  the  abolitionists 
are  so  bitterly  opposed  by  the  slaveholders  that  the  situation  is 
extremely  critical  at  present. 

The  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  contains  about  four  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is,  with  a  few  neighboring  com- 
munes, a  separate  municipality,  under  the  immediate  government 
of  the  executive  and  legislative  authorities  of  the  empire  similar 
to  Washington  in  the  District  of  Columbia.  The  city  is  built  on 
a  narrow  undulating  plain,  extending  six  miles  along  the  western 
shore  of  the  bay,  and  back  and  over  the  hills  in  a  picturesque 
manner.  The  palace  square  with  the  imperial  palace,  the  agricul- 
tural building,  and  the  imperial  chapel  occupy  the  most  prominent 
central  site  viewed  from  the  man-of-war  anchorage.  The  streets 
are  very  narrow  in  the  older  portions  of  the  city,  so  much  so  that 
vehicles  are  required  to  go  in  the  same  direction  in  the  same  street ; 
alternate  streets  are  designated  by  sign  for  opposite  routes.  The 
Rua  Ouvidor  is  the  main  business  thoroughfare  for  retail  dealers. 
It  is  so  narrow  and  so  much  frequented  that  no  vehicles  are  al- 
lowed in  the  street  at  any  time  except  after  ten  o'clock  at  night. 
The  houses  are  usually  devoid  of  architectural  beauty  and  gen- 
erally have  but  one  or  two  stories.  Balconies  are  almost  universal 
in  those  of  two  stories,  and  long  green  Venetian  blinds  hang  down 
over  these  and  give  a  striking  peculiarity  to  the  appearance  of  the 
more  crowded  portions  of  the  city.  There  are  a  great  many  lines 
of  street-cars,  which  are  called  "  Bonds"  by  the  citizens.  This 
peculiar  name  originated  from  the  coincidence  that  the  govern- 
ment negotiated  a  treasury  loan  the  same  time  that  the  street  rail- 
ways were  opened  for  the  people.     The  conductors  of  the  cars  gave 


328  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

tickets  upon  the  receipt  of  the  fares,  which  were  jokingly  called 
"bonds,"  and  from  this  circumstance  all  street-cars  have  been 
called  bonds  ever  since. 

The  custom-house  is  admirably  situated  on  the  sides  of  a 
rectangular  basin,  and  is  well  supplied  with  steam-cranes,  railways, 
and  ample  facilities  for  the  transportation,  inspection,  and  storage 
of  goods.  The  new  post-office  is  a  very  handsome  modern  gran- 
ite building.  Among  the  other  most  notable  buildings  there  are 
the  palaces  of  the  imperial  family,  the  mint,  the  academy  of  arts 
and  sciences,  the  railroad  depot,  two  large  hospitals,  twenty-four 
churches,  some  of  which  are  very  large  and  handsome,  the  Jesuit 
college,  Benedictine  monastery,  four  convents,  the  national  library, 
the  museum,  the  casino,  ten  theatres,  and  a  host  of  corporated  and 
private  institutions  too  numerous  to  mention.  Public  squares 
abound  in  all  parts  of  the  city,  and  the  Botanical  Gardens  in  the 
suburbs  are  celebrated  for  the  imposing  avenues  of  stately  palms. 
Rare  specimens  of  tropical  plants  also  abound. 

There  are  a  number  of  monuments  in  the  public  parks, — one,  a 
very  handsome  bronze  equestrian  statue  of  Dom  Pedro  I.,  the 
granite  pedestal  of  which  is  ornamented  by  four  handsome  female 
Indian  statues  at  the  corners,  emblematic  of  the  four  great  rivers 
of  the  empire.  It  would  require  a  volume  to  do  justice  to  all  the 
public  works,  the  forts  and  arsenals,  the  complete  system  for  dis- 
infecting sewers,  the  pavement  and  lighting  of  the  streets,  and 
other  details. 

The  city  is,  however,  only  a  commercial  emporium.  There  are 
no  factories  worth  mentioning,  and  its  great  wealth  is  almost  en- 
tirely due  to  the  exportation  of  coflfee.  Gold  and  diamonds  are 
extensively  mined  in  the  neighboring  province.  The  bay  is  trav- 
ersed by  a  number  of  ferries,  among  which  there  are  six  steamers 
like  the  New  York  ferry-boats.  The  commerce  of  the  port  is  car- 
ried by  twenty-two  steamship  companies  and  fleets  of  sailing-vessels, 
while  three  railroad  lines  drain  the  neighboring  country.  Travel- 
lers are  constantly  arriving,  but,  notwithstanding  a  large  floating 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  329 

population,  the  hotel  accommodation  is  miserable,  though  the 
cafes  and  restaurants  are  very  good.  The  markets  at  Rio  are  well 
supplied  with  fhiit,  but  a  great  many  necessaries  are  imported 
from  abroad, — potatoes,  butter,  and  flour.  The  climate  is  tropi- 
cal, and  in  the  summer — from  December  to  March — there  is 
always  more  or  less  yellow  fever,  though  consumption  is  by  far 
the  most  fatal  and  general  disease. 

THE   "BROOKLYN'S"   PETS. 

In  the  variety  and  assortment  of  pets  the  "  Brooklyn"  has 
probably  never  been  surpassed,  and  their  presence  contributed 
much  from  time  to  time  to  the  amusement  of  the  officers  and 
crew.  Upon  leaving  New  York,  two  cats  and  a  mocking-bird  en- 
joyed the  comforts  of  the  captain's  cabin,  but  nevertheless  soon 
came  to  an  untimely  end :  one  cat  and  the  bird  died,  and  the 
other  cat  had  a  fight  with  two  Montevideo  cats,  during  which  he 
broke  his  neck  by  falling  off  the  roof  of  Mr.  Evans's  store,  where 
he  had  been  sent  for  safe-keeping.  Captain  Weaver's  parrots  next 
appeared,  the  first  of  which  was  accidentally  dropped  into  the  sea, 
cage  and  all,  and  drowned.  A  gray  parrot  from  the  west  coast  of 
Africa  proved  a  remarkably  intelligent  bird,  and  imitated  the 
orderly's  knock  on  the  cabin  door  and  then  said  "  Come  in"  in  the 
most  natural  manner,  and  would  frequently  shout  "  Strike  eight 
bells,"  "  Call  the  watch,"  with  all  the  expressive  emphasis  of  the 
tired  watch  officer  anxious  for  his  relief.  Captain  Weaver  became 
especially  attached  to  this  bird,  which  learned  to  repeat  whole 
sentences  calculated  to  be  especially  gratifying  to  the  captain's 
children.  The  latter  did  not  enjoy  this,  because  the  poor  bird 
was  taken  sick  and  died  shortly  before  our  departure  from  Rio. 

On  the  Transit  of  Venus  expedition  a  number  of  pets  were 
brought  on  board,  a  young  guanaco  being  of  all  the  most  conspic- 
uous. This  was  a  beautiful  animal ;  its  lustrous  eyes  were  so 
expressive  of  gentleness  it  seemed  a  pity  to  keep  it  in  captivity. 
The  men  tried  every  means  to  tame  it,  but  it  died  before  it  be- 


330  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

came  accustomed  to  its  unnatural  surroundings.  A  lot  of  young 
ostriches  lived  on  the  forecastle  for  some  weeks ;  they  astonished 
all  by  their  voracious  appetites,  but  died  from  undigested  copper 
tacks.  Several  penguins  were  captured,  but  died  before  they 
were  tamed. 

In  the  Madagascar  cruise  the  greatest  variety  of  pets  was  col- 
lected. The  peculiar  animals  of  that  country  were  specially  in- 
teresting,— lemurs,  Madagascar  cats,  a  hedgehog,  and  a  number 
of  mongooses  were  on  board ;  two  of  the  latter,  owned  by  Lieu- 
tenant Phelps,  were  really  beautiful,  and  their  death  was  felt  to 
be  a  great  loss.  Sixteen  African  monkeys,  of  different  species, 
found  a  temporary  home  on  board  the  "  Brooklyn,"  some  of  which 
survived  the  cruise.  Of  the  monkeys,  details  are  too  numerous 
to  attempt  a  description.  The  largest  of  these  was  May-Junga, 
named  from  Mojanga  in  Madagascar,  where  it  was  given  to  Cap- 
tain Fagan.  This  monkey  stood  about  three  and  a  half  feet  high  ; 
it  was  very  good-natured,  and  was  secured  by  a  heavy  chain,  not- 
withstanding which  she  frequently  broke  adrift,  and  the  efforts  to 
capture  her  in  the  rigging  and  in  different  parts  of  the  ship  cre- 
ated a  great  deal  of  fun.  An  American  circus  company  arrived 
at  Rio  about  this  time,  and  May-Junga  is  now  one  of  the  attrac- 
tions on  the  bills.  At  Cape  Town  a  chameleon  was  one  of  the 
steerage  pets ;  this  strange  creature,  called  "  Dick,"  was  fed  with 
flies,  and  after  getting  remarkably  fat,  one  day  gave  birth  to 
eleven  young  chameleons,  but  all  died  shortly  after.  At  St. 
Helena  a  "  parrot"  fever  raged,  and  gray  African  parrots  were 
bought  for  about  fifteen  dollars ;  forty-one  were  on  board  at  one 
time.  Two  large  geometrical  tortoises  from  Madagascar,  belong- 
ing to  Captain  Weaver,  were  brought  for  the  Boston  Society 
of  Natural  History. 

Preparations  for  the  final  departure  from  Montevideo  were  com- 
pleted late  Saturday  evening,  July  12,  and  the  next  day  afforded 
the  last  opportunity  to  bid  adieu  to  our  friends  in  the  city,  some 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  331 

of  whom  were  especially  anxious  for  us  to  remain  at  least  one  day 
more  to  participate  in  the  festivities  of  the  French  national  holi- 
day,— the  anniversary  of  the  storming  of  the  Bastille.  At  11.50 
A.M.,  Monday,  July  14,  we  got  under  way  and  began  the  first  part 
of  our  voyage  homeward-bound,  under  the  most  promising  circum- 
stances, with  every  detail  of  the  ship's  equipment  and  machinery 
in  thorough  order. 

We  steamed  direct  for  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  experienced  fine 
weather,  with  smooth  sea  and  very  light  head-winds.  During  this 
passage  we  had  general  quarters  at  night — "  lash  and  carry" — 
several  times,  and  other  drills  and  exercises  as  per  routine.  We 
sighted  the  reflection  of  the  electric  light  on  E.aza  Island,  off  the 
entrance  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  at  8.20  p.m.,  July  20,  at  a  distance 
of  thirty-eight  miles,  and  the  light  itself  was  first  seen  at  ten 
o'clock,  twenty-nine  miles  distant.  We  steamed  up  the  beautiful 
bay  early  Monday  morning,  and  came  to  anchor  in  the  man-of-war 
anchorage  at  9.25  A.M.  The  trip  from  Montevideo  thus  occupied 
six  days  and  twenty-three  hours,  while  the  distance  actually  sailed 
was  1084.6  miles. 

We  found  the  "  Nipsic"  and  a  number  of  men-of-war  at  anchor 
in  the  harbor,  and  immediately  after  the  health  officer's  visit  we 
received  our  mail,  in  which  the  admiral  received  instructions  to 
proceed  home  in  the  "  Brooklyn"  as  soon  as  the  United  States 
naval  storehouse  was  disposed  of.  The  news  was  immediately 
communicated  to  the  officers,  and  Dennis  Twiggs  passed  word — 
after  the  shrill  pipe  to  attention — "  D'ye  hear  there  ?  the  ship  is 
under  orders  for  home  !"  No  words  can  express  the  thrill  of  joy 
that  ran  through  the  ship's  company.  Three  rousing  cheers  spon- 
taneously burst  forth  and  gave  vent  to  our  feelings. 

The  disposal  of  the  naval  storehouse  had  been  decided  upon 
some  time  previously,  and  the  "  Nipsic"  was  sent  to  Rio  de 
Janeiro  in  the  latter  part  of  June  to  survey  the  stores  and  get 
everything  ready  for  the  sale.  We  expected  to  be  able  to  accom- 
plish this  in  a  very  short  time,  but  after  the  inventory  was  taken 


832  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

the  law  required  the  sale  to  be  advertised  for  four  weeks,  which 
detained  us. 

In  the  mean  time  the  customary  salutes  were  exchanged 
with  the  Brazilians  and  the  usual  visits  paid  to  the  authorities. 
On  the  5th  of  August  Admiral  Phelps,  Captain  Weaver,  Pay- 
master Wright,  Lieutenants  Beehler  and  Phelps,  Captain  Fagan, 
U.S.M.C,  and  Ensign  Ripley,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Trail,  acting 
chargd  d'affaires  in  the  absence  of  Minister  Osborne,  went  to  the 
imperial  palace  at  San  Chriatovao  and  were  presented  to  the  Em- 
peror Dom  Pedro  II.  and  the  empress.  The  visit  was  very  cere- 
monious, and  was  simply  an  occasion  for  the  interchange  of  the 
expressions  of  friendship  and  amity  existing  between  the  United 
States  and  Brazil. 

While  we  were  at  Rio  our  minister  to  Uruguay — the  Hon. 
William  Williams — arrived  en  route  to  the  United  States.  He 
was  cordially  received  by  the  officers,  and  was  their  guest  for  one 
night.  Mr.  Williams  was  nominated  for  Congress  by  acclamation 
in  his  district  in  Indiana,  and  left  Rio  in  the  American  steamer 
"  Finance."  The  diplomatic  corps  at  Rio  went  on  board  the 
"  Finance,"  and  subsequently  visited  the  "  Brooklyn."  When 
the  "  Finance"  started  down  the  bay  we  fired  a  salute  of  fiflecn 
guns,  while  the  band  played  the  "  Star-Spangled  Banner,"  "  Home, 
S^eet  Home,"  and  other  airs. 

Senhor  Roberto  Grey,  the  well-known  Rio  auctioneer,  con- 
ducted the  sale  of  the  stores,  under  the  direction  of  Paymaster 
J.  R.  Martin,  United  States  Navy,  who  had  charge  of  the  United 
States  naval  storehouse  at  Rio  de  Janeiro.  Ensign  C.  S.  Ripley, 
the  admiral's  aide,  witnessed  the  sale  on  the  part  of  the  admiral. 
The  auction  took  place  in  the  city,  where  samples  of  the  different 
articles  from  the  storehouse  on  Vianna  Island  had  been  collected. 
These  stores  had  deteriorated  very  much  from  climatic  causes,  and, 
as  they  had  been  exposed  to  yellow  fever  germs,  commanding 
officers  of  naval  vessels  would  not  take  them  on  board  their  ships 
for  fear  of  introducing  yellow  fever.     These  reasons  induced  the 


THE   CRUISE   OF  THE  BROOKLYN.  333 

Navy  Department  to  discontinue  the  storehouse,  and  it  was  a  very 
agreeable  surprise  that  the  sum  of  thirty  thousand  milreis,  or 
twelve  thousand  dollars,  was  realized  from  the  auction,  which  took 
place  on  the  21st  of  August.  The  American  firm  of  Gr.  F.  Bassett 
&  Co.  bought  several  lots  of  the  stores,  which  were  in  prime  con- 
dition ;  the  bulk  of  the  inferior  damaged  goods  was  "  knocked 
down"  to  Brazilian  firms  and  speculators. 

The  money  was  duly  paid  and  the  whole  aflFair  settled  by  Aug- 
ust 30,  and  preparations  were  made  for  our  departure  for  New 
York  on  the  following  Monday,  September  1.  The  "  Nipsic" 
was  thus  left  alone  on  the  station.  Naval  Cadets  Webster  and 
Alexander  were  transferred  back  again  to  the  "  Nipsic,"  with 
twelve  of  our  marines,  who  had  been  with  us  all  the  cruise. 

At  9.45  A.M.,  Monday,  September  1,  the  boatswain  and  his 
mates  called  all  hands  "  Up  anchor  for  home,"  and  all  went  to 
their  stations  with  great  alacrity.  We  got  under  way  under  steam 
and  stood  down  the  bay.  As  we  passed  the  "  Nipsic"  her  crew 
manned  the  rigging  and  gave  us  the  parting  cheer,  which  we  an- 
swered most  vociferously.  The  air  was  filled  with  caps,  which 
dropped  into  the  sea  astern  accompanied  by  three  Jonahs,  which 
were  tlirown  from  our  fore-,  main-,  and  mizzen-tops. 

We  had  a  deck-load  of  fifty  tons  of  coal,  and  continued  under 
steam  until  September  6,  when  we  got  the  southeast  trades. 
From  this  time  on  the  passage  was  remarkably  fine.  After  the 
deck-load  of  coal  was  consumed  we  proceeded  under  sail  alone, 
until  we  reached  the  equatorial  belt  of  calms,  when  we  started 
fires  and  steamed  from  latitude  7°  north  longitude  44°  west,  to 
10°  30'  north  and  50°  west,  a  distance  of  about  three  hundred 
and  thirty  miles,  when  we  got  the  northeast  trades,  which  we 
carried  up  to  their  extreme  northern  limit.  We  again  got  up 
steam  at  eleven  o'clock,  October  4,  when  six  hundred  and  seventy 
miles  from  Sandy  Hook,  and  steamed  direct  to  our  anchorage 
oflF  the  navy-yard  at  Brooklyn,  where  the  "  Brooklyn"  arrived 
at  three  p.m.,  October  8,  1884. 

22 


334  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN. 

The  homeward  bound  voyage  was  by  far  the  most  pleasant  of 
the  cruise.  The  mere  fact  of  nearing  home  after  a  three  years' 
cruise  on  a  foreign  station  would  in  itself  have  reconciled  us  to 
many  discomforts,  but  we  had  none. 

The  beautiful  weather  so  general  in  the  trade-wind  belts  pre- 
vailed over  and  beyond  their  ordinary  limits,  and  even  when  we 
passed  between  Bermuda  and  Hatteras  we  experienced  delightftil 
weather,  encountered  no  rough  seas,  and  the  ship  sailed  along  as 
smoothly  as  if  on  an  inland  lake. 

For  three  long  years  the  good  old  ship  cruised  along  foreign 
shores,  and  was  a  safeguard  to  the  United  States  of  America  and 
a  security  for  such  as  passed  on  the  seas  upon  their  lawful  occa- 
sions. The  ship's  company  was  discharged,  and  the  officers 
assigned  to  other  duties  as  deemed  expedient  by  the  honorable 
Navy  Department,  but  those  who  participated  will  always  look 
back  upon  this  most  successful  cruise  with  great  satisfaction. 

Indeed,  the  "  Brooklyn's"  cruise  was  a  very  fortunate  one,  both 
in  regard  to  the  fine  weather  generally  experienced  and  to  the 
remarkably  good  health  enjoyed  by  "  all  hands." 

Doubtless  all  will  enjoy  the  blessings  of  the  land  with  the 
fruits  of  their  labors  and  be  sincerely  grateful  for  these  mercies. 


TABULATED  SYNOPSIS  OF  THE  CRUISE. 


November  11, 1881,  went  into  commission  at  navy-yard,  New  York. 


Date  of 
Departure. 


Port  Left  and  Port  Bonnd  for. 


Time  on 

Voyage. 

Days. 

Honra. 

49 

2 

9 

10 

6 

~. 

2 

4 

... 

6 

... 

6 

2 

10 

7 

14 

6 

22 

6 

1 

7 

2 

7 

6 

7 

19 

6 

10 

38 

2 

27 

20 

6 

4 

3 

3 

1 

3 

2 

6 

3 

4 

2 

4 

1 

9 

6 

6 

8 

2 

16 

12 

30 

13 

6 

23 

37 

6 

Distance 
SaUed. 


MUef. 


1881. 
December    7. 

1882. 
February      5. 

"  15. 

"  16. 

18. 


March 


•'  14. 

May  24. 

September  9. 
October  26. 
December  16. 

1883. 
January  3. 
27. 
September  28. 
NoTember  19. 
December  15. 

1884. 

January  5. 

"  10. 

"  19. 

"  25. 

February  6. 

"  16. 

"  21. 

March  6. 

"  13. 

April  12. 

May  6. 

July  14. 
September    1. 


New  York  for  MonteTideo,  Uruguay.. 


Montevideo  for  Possession  Bay,  Straits  of 
Magellan 

Possession  Bay  for  Gregory  Bay,  Straits 
of  Magellan 

Gregory  Bay  for  Elizabeth  Island,  Straits 
of  Magellan 

Elizabeth  Island  for  Sandy  Point,  Straits 
of  Magellan 

Sandy  Point  for  Gregory  Bay,  Straits  of 
Magellan 

Gregory  Bay  for  Possession  Bay,  Straits 
of  Magellan 

Possession  Bay  for  Port  Stanley,  Falk- 
land Islands 

Port  Stanley  for  Montevideo 

Montevideo  for  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil.... 

Bio  de  Janeiro  for  Montevideo 

Montevideo  for  Santa  Crnz,  Patagonia... 

Santa  Cruz  for  Montevideo 


Montevideo  for  Santa  Cruz,  Patagonia.... 

Santa  Cruz  for  Montevideo 

Montevideo  for  Cape  Town.  Africa 

Cape  Town  for  Tamatave,  Madagascar.... 
Tamatave  for  Zanzibar 


Zanzibar  for  Johanna  Islands 

Johanna  for  Nossi  B6  Island 

Noesi  B6  for  Mojanga,  Madngascar 

Mojanga  for  Mozambique,  Africa. 

Mozambique  for  Mourondava,  Madagas- 
car  

Mourondava  for  Nos-Veh,  Madagascar... 
NoH-Veh  for  Tullear  Bay,  Madagascar..... 
Tullear  Bay  for  Port  Elizabeth,  Africa.... 
Port  Elizabeth  for  Cape  Town,  Africa..... 

Cape  Town  for  St.  Helena  Island..... 

St.  Helena  for  Montevideo 

Montevideo  for  Bio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil.... 
Rio  de  Janeiro  for  New  York 


Total. 


6,279.4 

1^1.2 

46. 

18. 

27. 

46. 

46. 

462.6 
1,166.4 
1,058.6 
1,002.3 
1,251.3 
1,131.1 


1,168.6 

1431.1 

3,986. 

3,065.4 

1,022.4 


498.7 
216.6 
281.8 
403.1 

340.3 

228.7 

32. 

1,062.5 

438.7 

1,643.6 

3,134.8 

1,084.6 

4,913.4 


38,667 


The  above,  including  several  short  tripe  on  the  river  Plate  for  target-practice  and 
tactical  evolutions,  make  a  grand  total  of  38,600  miles  sailed  daring  the  entire  cruise. 

885 


APPENDIX. 


LIST  OF  OFFICERS  ON  BOARD  THE  UNITED  STATES  FLAG-SHIP 
"BROOKLYN"  UPON  HER  ARRIVAL  AT  NEW  YORK,  OCTOBER 
8, 1884. 

Rear- Admiral  Thomas  S.  Phelps,  commander-in-chief   United  States  Daral 

force,  on  South  Atlantic  Station. 
Captain  A.  W.  Weaver,  commanding  "  Brooklyn." 
Lieutenant- Commander  G.  E.  Wingate. 
Lieutenant-Commander  E.  W.  Watson. 
Lieutenant  W.  H.  Beehler. 
Lieutenant  H.  0.  Handy. 
Lieutenant  Thomas  S.  Phelps,  Jr. 
Lieutenant  George  A.  Calhoun. 
Lieutenant  Jacob  J.  Hunker. 
Ensign  H.  McL.  P.  Huse. 
Ensign  John  Hood. 
Ensign  C.  S.  Ripley. 
Ensign  J.  B.  Cahoon. 
Ensign  J.  A.  Bell. 
Ensign  Thomas  Snowden. 
Ensign  Franklin  Swift. 
Medical  Inspector  C.  H.  Burbank. 
Surgeon  H.  M.  Martin. 
Passed  Assistant  Surgeon  J.  M.  Steele. 
Paymaster  Worthington  Goldsborough. 
Chief  Engineer  W.  W.  Dungan. 
Passed  Assistant  Engineer  B.  C.  Gowing. 
Assistant  Engineer  S.  H.  Leonard,  Jr. 
Chaplain  A.  Lee  Royce. 

Captain  L.  E.  Fagan,  United  States  Marine  Corps. 
Second  Lieutenant  S.  L.  Jackson,  United  States  Marine  Corps. 
Boatswain  H.  Dickinson. 
Carpenter  J.  S.  Waltemeyer. 
Sailmaker  J.  T.  Bailey. 
Paymaster's  Clerk  J.  G.  Dawson. 

•  837 


APPENDIX. 


LIST  OF  CREW. 


APPOINTED   PETTY  OFFICERS. 
John  Taylor,  ma«t«r-at-arm8. 
0.  B.  Morton,  ship  yeoman. 
William    LaForge,   maohinitt,   first- 

olau. 
James  Jonea,  machinist,  first-class. 
D.  M.  Miller,  machinist,  seoond-olass. 
William   M.    Shoemaker,   engineer's 

yeoman. 
Jam*  8  L.  Graham,  apothecary. 
Harry  T.  Jackson,  pay.  yeoman. 
William  Jarrard,  schoolmaster. 
William  A.  M.  Deuohar,  ship's  writer. 
C.  M.  Cartwright,  ship's  printer. 
M.  Durkin,  blacksmith. 

PETTY  OFFICERS. 

John  Lyons,  boatswaitf's  mate. 

Dennis  Twiggs,  boatswain's  mate. 

James  Murphy,  boatswain's  mate. 

Matthew  Riley,  chief  gunner's  mate. 

William  R.  Lyons,  signal  quartermas- 
ter. 

Henry  Pharoah,  carpenter's  mate. 

John  Winters,  carpenter's  mate. 

Charles  Kelsey,  armorer. 

Thomas  Muldoon,  sailmaker's  mate. 

(}eorgeReed,  coxswain  to  commander- 
in-chief. 

William  Campbell,  captain  forecastle. 

William  Eske,  captain  forecastle. 

Edward  Ramsay,  quartermaster. 

Robert  Maker,  quartermaster. 

Charles  Bassett,  quartermaster. 

Magnus  Erickson,  quarter  gunner. 

James  Tieman,  quarter  gunner. 

John  H.  Thompson,  quarter  gunner. 

Thomas  Holmes,  quarter  gunner. 


James  Burgess,  coxswain. 
James  Casey,  coxswain. 
John  Maley,  coxswain. 
John  Traoey,  captain  maintop. 
Thomas  Mullen,  captain  maintop. 
John  L.  Bemauer,  captain  foretop. 
Manuel  Rodrigues,  captain  foretop. 
John  Dyke,  captain  mizzentop. 
H.  E.  Collyer,  captain  mizzentop. 
George  Royal,  captain  after-guards. 
Charles  Walker,  captain  after-guards. 
George  W.  Miller,  painter. 
John  Walker,  ship's  corporal. 
Daniel  Sheridan,  ship's  corporal. 
Stephen  Ashton,  captain  main  hold. 
John  Dahlberg,  captain  fore  hold. 
Thomas  Carroll,  ship's  cook. 
John  Doherty,  jack  of  dust. 
Ronald  Ford,  lamp-lighter. 
Richard  Walsh,  ship's  bugler. 
David  Meldrum,  carpenter. 
Charles  Venables,  carpenter. 
D.  J.  McLaughlin,  carpenter. 
W.  J.  C.  Hardy,  carpenter. 
Joseph  Hindley,  bayman. 
H.  M.  Holden,  bayman. 

FORECASTLE. 
Charles  McCluskey,  seaman. 
William  Sweeney,  seaman. 
Harry  Barth,  seaman. 
August  Makowske,  seaman. 
Henry  Williams,  seaman. 
Richard  Jones,  seaman. 
Andrew  Collman,  seaman. 
Peter  Nuygren,  seaman. 
John  Ellis,  seaman. 
William  Anderson,  seaman. 


APPENDIX. 


339 


Peter  Barkhardt,  seaman,  apprentice. 
W.  C.  Carson,  seaman,  apprentice. 
W.  V.  Armstrong,  ordinary  seaman, 

apprentice. 
W.  F.  Cartwright,  ordinary  seaman, 

apprentice. 
Frederick  Dreier,  ordinary  seaman. 
Albert  Garren,  ordinary  seaman. 
Arthur  Ward,  ordinary  seaman. 
Hans  J.  Hansen,  ordinary  seaman. 
John  Dunn,  ordinary  seaman. 
John  Kich,  landsman. 
Frank  Appelblad,  landsman. 
William  McArthur,  landsman. 

FORETOP. 

F.  Schmanke,  seaman. 

G.  B.  Bernhartsen,  seaman. 
Nicholas  George,  seaman. 
Aeklos  Alegria,  seaman. 
Walter  Wellesley,  seaman. 

August  Haiman,  seaman,  apprentice. 

Michael  DuflPy,  seaman,  apprentice. 

Jacob  Olsen,  seaman. 

Stephen  Ellsen,  mastman. 

John  Cavanagh,  mastman. 

Olaf  Olsen,  ordinary  seaman. 

Christian  Cbristensen,  ordinary  sea- 
man. 

Walter  Kevern,  ordinary  seaman. 

William.  Brown,  ordinary  seaman. 

Rudolph  Schneider,  ordinary  seaman. 

I.  N.  Marselis,  ordinary  seaman. 

Frederick  Jonson,  ordinary  seaman. 

W.  A.  Culver,  ordinary  seaman. 

J.  A.  Carlson,  ordinary  seaman. 

Percival  Gibson,  ordinary  seaman, 
apprentice. 

J.  Spolders,  ordinary  seaman,  ap- 
prentice. 

Edward  Perham,  ordinary  seaman, 
apprentice. 

J.  F.  Smith,  landsman. 


W.  J.  Wojan,  landsman. 
William  Sinnott,  landsman. 
Olaf  Skorelyn,  landsman. 

MAINTOP. 
John  Port,  seaman. 
John  Johnson,  seaman. 
Philip  Hazard,  seaman. 
Robert  Allan,  seaman. 
A.  L.  Ford,  seaman,  apprentice. 
Patrick  Meagher,  seaman,  apprentice. 
J.  M.  Smith,  seaman,  apprentice. 
Francis  Cleary,  seaman. 
Thomas  G.  Pasnage,  seaman. 

F.  Larsen,  seaman. 

A.  Halgesson,  seaman. 
Albert  Rugaart,  mastman. 
William  O'Brien,  mastman. 

R.  B.  Hilger,  ordinary  seaman. 

James  Foley,  ordinary  seaman. 

John  V.  Nordling,  ordinary  seaman. 

Andrew  Pozetts,  ordinary  seaman. 

Frank  Hewitt,  ordinary  seaman. 

William  Collins,  ordinary  seaman. 

William  Schmidt,  ordinary  seaman. 

Henry  Jennings,  ordinary  seaman. 

Henry  Rave,  ordinary  seaman,  ap- 
prentice. 

John  F.  Folwell,  ordinary  seaman, 
apprentice. 

John  W.  Beattie,  landsman. 

H.  0.  Hanson,  landsman. 

MIZZENTOP. 
William  Johnson  (2d),  seaman. 
Andrew  Bakman,  seaman. 
James  Conley,  seaman. 
Ossian  Carlson,  seaman. 
Charles  Humphreys,  seaman. 
Oliver  Quemener,  seaman. 

B.  H.  Bryan,  seaman,  apprentice. 

G.  W.  Book,  seaman,  apprentice. 
G.  P.  Monell,  seaman,  apprentice. 
John  Neil,  mastman. 


340 


APPENDIX. 


A.  0.  Petonon,  mastman. 

John  Gansolveni,  ordinary  seaman. 
Robert  Simona,  ordinary  seaman. 
Peter  Anderson,  ordinary  seaman. 
C.  J.  B.  Irersen,  ordinary  seaman. 
Henry  Phelps,  ordinary  seaman. 
J.  M.  Unme,  ordinary  seaman,  ap- 
prentice. 
Jakob  Forss,  landsman. 
William  Steinhauer,  landsman. 
George  Banister,  landsman. 

AFTER-GUARDS. 

Charles  Anderson,  seaman. 

Amt  Jakobson,  seaman. 

Edward  Austin,  seaman. 

G.  A.  Benetzech,  seaman,  apprentice. 

Alexander  Jones,  seaman,  apprentice. 

Rudolph  Klabis,  ordinary  seaman. 

Frederick  Vanpamelin,  ordinary  sea- 
man. 

Emil  Giebarth,  ordinary  seaman. 

Jame8  Millmore,  ordinary  seaman. 

George  Hewitt,  ordinary  seaman. 

Frank  Brady,  ordinary  seaman. 

C.  H.  R.  Godfrey,  ordinary  seaman. 

Martin  Nyholm,  ordinary  seaman. 

William  Johnson  (1st),  ordinary  sea- 
man. 

B.  Patti,  ordinary  seaman,  apprentice. 
R.  M.  Wright,  ordinary  seaman,  ap- 
prentice. 

J.  W.  Howourth,  landsman. 
Charles  Miller,  landsman. 
James  Murphy  (2d),  landsman. 
Andrew  Nenman,  landsman. 
John  McCabe,  landsman. 

ENGINEER'S   FORCE. 
Michael  Hanifin,  first-class  fireman. 
George  E.  Skinner,  first-class  fireman. 
John  Grant,  first-class  fireman. 
Dennis  Murphy,  first-olaaa  fireman. 


Thomas  Cahill,  first-class  fireman. 
John  W.  Welch,  first-class  fireman. 
Peter  Sullivan,  first-class  fireman. 
Alphonse  Verriest,  first-clofls  fireman. 
James  McCarthy,  first-class  fireman. 
James  Conner,  first-class  fireman. 
Charles  Bois,  first-class  fireman. 
John  Northern,  second-class  fireman. 
W.  F.  Hope,  second-ciass  fireman. 
Edward  Brenan,  second-class  fireman. 
Henry  Wilson,  second-class  fireman. 
William  O'Connor,  second-cltus   fire- 
man. 
F.  £.  Hedenger,  second-class  fireman. 
B.  Mastoraki,  second-class  fireman. 
George  Ryan,  second-class  fireman. 
Rudolph  Schultz,  second-class  fireman. 
John  Dolan,  second-class  fireman. 
John  Lietzer,  coal-heaver. 
Harry  Forkin,  coal-heaver. 
Thomas  Delaney,  coal-heaver. 
Paul  Adam,  coal-heaver. 
Patrick  Whalen,  coal-heaver. 
E.  H.  Johnson,  coal-heaver. 
Alexander  Coutts,  coal-heaver. 
John  S.  Norton,  coal-heaver. 
R.  Soderlund,  coal-heaver. 
W.  H.  Ammerman,  coal-heaver. 
Pat.  Byrnes,  coal-heaver, 
John  Sheehan,  coal-heaver. 
James  O'Neil,  coal-heaver. 
Carl  Lerhman,  coal-heaver. 
John  O'Connor,  coal-heaver. 
John  Flynn,  coal-heaver. 
Michael  Whalen,  coal-heaver. 
Gustavo  Thiele,  coal-heaver. 
William  Branagan,  coal-heaver. 

MARINE   GUARD. 
Joseph  Boyle,  orderly  sergeant. 
Benjamin  Hart,  sergeant. 
Robert  Eakins,  sergeant. 
George  F.  Powers,  corporal. 


APPENDIX. 


341 


T.  H.  Moran,  corporal. 
C.  B.  Allan,  corporal. 
W.  E.  Howes,  drummer. 
J.  C.  Cahill,  fifer. 
M.  Behan,  private. 
J.  J.  Dougherty,  private. 
John  Dougherty,  private. 
F.  E.  Dow,  private. 
J.  W.  Fleet,  private. 
E.  M.  Hurley,  private. 
Louis  Hassinger,  private. 
J.  H.  Keating,  private. 
J.  M.  Kenny,  private. 
William  Lally,  private. 
Edmond  Loren,  private. 
C.  S.  Murphy,  private. 
S.  G.  Maxfield,  private. 
John  Qninn,  private. 
John  A.  Richardson,  private. 
A.  M.  Reddick,  private. 
A.  Spering,  private. 
T.  Russell,  private. 
C.  Viele,  private. 

BAND. 

H.  E.  Schutto,  master  of  band. 

Donato  Ficca,  first-class  musician. 

Salvator  Arcidiacona,  first-class  musi- 
cian. 

Achilles  Tedeschi,  first-class  musi- 
cian. 

Generoso  Napoliello,  first-class  musi- 
cian. 

Genero  Persioo,  first-class  musician. 

Frederick  Fomfett,  first-class  musi- 
cian. 

Nicola  Fioa,  second-class  musician. 


Giaoomo  del  Guerico,  second-class  mu- 
sician. 

Henry  Gremmel,  second-class  musi- 
cian. 

Antonio  Gueressi,  second-class  musi- 
cian. 

Cesare  Torsiello,  second-class  musi- 
cian. 

Giacomo  Simone,  second-class  musi- 
cian. 

SERVANTS. 

Leo.  Stears,  admiral's  steward. 

Charles  Arthur,  admiral's  cook. 

T.  H.  Richardson,  admiral's  boy. 

F.  A.  Robinson,  cabin  steward. 

Charles  Akins,  cabin  cook. 

Alexander  Wilson,  cabin  boy. 

Ah  Bon,  wardroom  steward. 

Ah  Chowe,  wardroom  cook. 

Ah  Gee,  wardroom  boy. 

Ah  Quang,  wardroom  boy. 

Ah  Choo,  wardroom  boy. 

Ah  Yow,  wardroom  boy. 

Ah  Sin,  wardroom  boy. 
]  Ah  Sing,  wardroom  boy. 
'   Pietro  Rodrigues,  wardroom  boy. 
{  Ah  John,  steerage  steward. 

Ah  Choy,  steerage  cook. 

Paul  Samaran,  steerage  boy. 

Emile  Renand,  steerage  boy. 

Emile  Cagnion,  steerage  boy. 

Thomas  Kennedy,  warrant  officers' 
steward. 

W.  H.  Johnson,  warrant  officers'  cook. 

Charles  Williams,  warrant  officers' 
boy. 


ACKBR,  MBRRAI.I.    &   CONDIT, 


IMPORTERS  OF 


FINE  WINES  AND  FANCY  GEOOERIES, 

57TH    ST.  AND    6TH   AVE., 

BROADWAY  AND  42D  STREET,  130  AND  132  CHAMBERS  STREET, 

NET^    YORK. 


39  Rue  de  Chateaudun,  ACKER,  EDGAR  &  CO., 

PARIS.  YONKERS. 


During  the  cruise  the  wardroom  officers  of  the  "  Brooklyn" 
received  several  lots  of  our  goods  at  Montevideo  and  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  hy  which  they  realized  a  saving  of  over  $600. 


ARMY  AND  NAVY  JOURNAL. 

GAZETTE  OF  THE  REGULAR  AND  VOLUNTEER  FORCES. 


It  ii  well  nnderatood  in  the  Servioee  that  the  commanding  position  in  eor- 
rioe  literature  which  the  Armt  and  Natt  Journal  has  held  for  over  twenty 
yean  has  been  still  further  strengthened  of  late  by  a  1  irge  addition  to  its 
■obflcription  list,  the  result  of  a  reoent  offer  of  club  rates.  The  paper  is  now  fur- 
nished the  Army  and  the  Navy  at  the  club  rate  of  Three  Dollars  for  the  year. 

The  weekly  numbers  and  the  bound  volumes  of  the  Joornal,  extending 
back  to  1863,  embody  a  mass  of  information  of  immediate  interest  as  well  as 
of  historical  value,  which  can  be  found  nowhere  else. 

The  JonRNAL  publishes  all  official  orders  concerning  the  military  services, 
and  a  weekly  report  of  all  matters  of  interest  to  them,  including  a  professional 
Moount  of  the  movements  of  foreign  armies  and  navies,  and  a  description  of 
the  experiments  and  discoveries  illustrative  of  military  and  naval  science  in 
this  country  and  abroad,  ofiScial  reports  and  executive  and  other  documents  of 
great  value. 

In  a  letter  dated  March  11,  1878,  Col.  Henry  B.  Carrington,  U.S.A.,  author 
of  the  "  Battles  of  the  Revolution,"  "  Indian  Operations  on  the  Plains,"  and 
other  works,  says : 

"  In  the  examination  of  Executive  Documents  and  OfiScial  Reports  of  the 
last  twelve  years,  I  have  derived  the  utmost  benefit  from  my  files  of  the  Army 
AND  Navy  Journal." 

The  Allgemexne  Militdr  Zeitung,  Darmstadt,  Germany,  says:  "We  know  of 
no  military  paper  which  surpasses  the  Army  and  Navy  Journal  in  compre- 
hensive range  of  subjects.  It  cannot  be  said  that  the  knowledge,  the  views, 
the  talent  for  presenting  opinions  and  facts  displayed  in  its  columns  are  sur- 
passed in  any  European  military  paper." 

The  Boston  Transcript  says :  "  It  is  impossible  to  run  the  eye  over  the  pages 
of  this  volume,  now  that  the  events  it  records  and  discusses  have  passed  into 
history,  without  being  struck  with  the  sagacity,  ability,  wisdom,  and  modera- 
tion with  which  it  has  been  conducted.  The  Edinburgh  Review,  in  the  only 
article  puUlished  abroad  in  which  justice  was  done  to  our  great  leaders  of  the 
Army  and  Navy,  based  its  judgments  chiefly  on  facts  furnished  by  the  Army 
and  Navy  Journal." 

The  change  of  administration  on  the  4th  of  March  next  gives  additional 
importance  to  the  information  we  publish  of  ofiScial  action  afifecting  the  ser- 
Tice,  which  appears  weekly  in  the  Army  and  Navy  Journal.  Having  several 
correspondents  at  Washington,  and  using  the  telegraph  freely,  we  are  able  to 
famish  more  complete  and  accurate  official  information  than  is  found  in  any 
other  paper,  giving  reports  of  Congressional  proceedings  interesting  to  the 
Army  and  the  Navy,  which  the  ordinary  papers  almost  wholly  neglect. 

W.  C.  &  F.  P.  CHURCH, 

240  Broadway,  New  York. 


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